Dragon Saga Online
by LookinGoodYamcha
Summary: The VRMMO genre makes its North American debut! An immersive experience becomes a fight for survival when a young enthusiast called Mantine finds himself trapped within the virtual world along with the other unwitting players! They quickly learn that death in the game means paying the ultimate price in the real world. Re-imagining of SAO with some Dragon Saga flair.
1. 1 - World of the Divine Dragon Lord

**Dragon Saga Online  
A Sword Art Online x Dragon Saga crossover by LookinGoodYamcha**

 **Author's notes:** _ **The following is a somewhat experimental fic aiming to rewrite the popular light novel Sword Art Online, specifically the first major arc of its famous anime adaptation. I use the term 'rewrite' lightly because this is not so much an attempt to redo the original canon as it is to take SAO's basic ideas and apply them to my own story set within an adaptation of the somewhat-obscure MMO game, Dragon Saga.**_

 _ **A bit of background; I watched SAO in its entirety during Fall of 2015. Beset with a horrible ear infection, I was able to marathon the entire series in my downtime. Although I did genuinely enjoy most of it, I, like many viewers, had plenty of criticisms about the show overall. Sword Art Online did, however, reignite the spark for my on-and-off interest in MMORPGs. Particularly Dragon Saga, the hidden gem I'd been introduced to in early 2010. SAO's fast-paced action gave me a craving for something more input-heavy and reflex-intensive than the standard RuneScape fare I usually gravitated to, and Dragon Saga was just the game to scratch that itch.**_

 _ **Anyhow, a combination of these factors inspired me attempt to 'fix' the complaints that many viewers held toward Kawahara's original work. Thus, this story will re-imagine SAO in a sense. Fans of the original show will recognize most major plot points and story beats, and each character here will fill a role that the original cast did.**_

 _ **Rest assured, this fic is coming from a fan of the show, albeit a fan with criticisms. I'm not a "hater" in any sense, and this story should be considered a re-imagining rather than a full-on rewrite. That being said, I hope you enjoy.**_

* * *

 **Chapter One – The World of the Divine Dragon Lord**

 **6** **th** **of January, 2022  
Houston, Texas**

"Mantine! What's the hold up? Take the fucking flag back already!" The voice of a boy no older than twelve crackled through a small wireless headset, which was hardly visible under the long, dark, thick hair of its owner; a seventeen-year-old boy reclining in his office chair, playing the latest installment in the _Halo_ series. He rather enjoyed the sci-fi FPS franchise that had been going strong since before he was born, and given that the winter holidays were still in full swing, he and his circle of online friends were not hindered by school as they had been for most of last year.

He sighed, stretching his lanky legs out, and rested them on a second, smaller office chair. "If it'll shut you up…" With a subtle grin and a few flicks of buttons and sticks, he guided his player character back to his base and into the capture zone. Just as the ingame announcer signaled, "Flag captured. Game over. Victory.", the boy received a party chat invite from two of his long-time online friends. He hit a button on his controller and accepted them.

First was Kindon. Hailing from Northwest Philadelphia, he'd heard every ' _Fresh Prince_ ' joke to the point of embracing them. He'd met Mantine a few years ago through _Halo_. Following him was Kite. He was from the United Kingdom and had become acquainted with the two through a _Banjo-Kazooie_ game. They both tried to speak over one another, but Kite was the first to make himself heard. "Finally, he joins! Been tryna reach you all day, bellend! Do you just, like, not check your messages anymore?"

Mantine scratched the back of his head and grinned sheepishly, knowing full well his friends couldn't see the gesture. He had been playing all day and, whether he meant to or not, ignored his pals' invites the entire time. "Sorry, brah! Must not've seen 'em!" he replied in a fairly deep, relaxed voice.

"Sure!" replied Kite sarcastically. "Hey, how far are you in the Pokémon LP?"

Kindon chimed in. "Yes! I want to know how my precious Freshus is doing!" Mantine had recently obtained a microphone and proper recording software, and proceeded to try his hand at video let's plays. His game of choice was _Pokémon OmegaRuby_ , as _Pokémon_ was another franchise he and his friends were interested in.

"Oh, I just uploaded part eleven! Didja not see? Freshus is just fine!" he replied, referring to his starter Mudkip.

"I'll check it out later, Mantine. Kite and I just got Dragon Saga and we've been playing like, all day. Actually, we were wondering if you wanted to join us. Pleeease?" Kindon offered.

"Oh, shit! I'm zonin' out all the time... it unlocked yesterday, right?" asked Mantine, remembering to check if his pre-order download had finished.

Dragon Saga Online was the first Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Online RPG, or VRMMO to be released outside of Japan. Microsoft and Apple had given third-party developers permission to release special NerveGear headsets that were compatible with certain PC games. Developed by a company called Portal, Dragon Saga was unique in that it allowed full immersion in every aspect. The game was entirely controlled by one's own nerve stimulations, and one could feel, smell, and taste things within the game world using FullDive technology.

Though it was indeed a marvel of computer science, games like these had been released using Japan as a sort of 'test audience' for a few years. Only now were they making headway in other regions, and online gamers everywhere had been spending many a night foregoing sleep to stalk the game site for updates. Yesterday, the lines of eager fans trailed out the doors of any outlet who sold the game, and the physical copies had been completely sold out by the next day. Mantine had to settle for a digital download, but he didn't care, as this was an experience that seemed far too wondrous to pass up.

"Hop on with us in a bit, will you? We're already like, level 25! You've gotta catch up. You won't believe what you can do in that game, bruh!" Kite said excitedly.

"Honestly, Mantine… it's the perfect game for you!" added Kindon.

Mantine rose from his chair and stretched his tall body. "Okay, you've won me over… I can actually get on now, I think. Lemme go ask gramps." He fumbled with his wireless headset before excitedly tossing it on the bed, and strode into the living room. "Hey, Poppa! Is it cool if I play my new VR game with my friends for a bit? I think everything's done for the night anyway. Oh! Don't worry, it's not one of those subscription things, I bought it!"

He was relaxing on the couch, watching a Cowboys game. He smiled back at his grandson and took a sip of Sam Adams. "Ah, sure! I was just gon' hit the sack after I watched the game, anyway. Just don't stay up too late. I wanna go to Café Cappuccino tomorrow mornin'." he replied in a typical Texan drawl.

"Hah, like I'd pass up that offer! 'Night, man!" Mantine said, running excitedly back into his room. He snatched up his mic and told his two friends, "'Kay, I'm back. Yeah, I'll be on in a few. You guys got the NerveGears all set? I think I finally figured mine out, haha."

"Yup!" they said simultaneously. With that confirmation, Mantine tapped his console's off button with his toe and synced the NerveGear headset with his PC. As he lay down in his blue bed and prepared to immerse himself, he smirked. "Hmph. Level 25? They say that like it's somethin' to be proud of." With this vocal command, the Gear activated and began to stimulate Mantine's brain. At first, he saw what looked like the hyperspace scene from _Star Wars_ , then the game menu was laid out before his eyes.

He signed into the account he'd created on Portal's website and marveled a bit at the character creation menu. "Hmm, color me impressed." He stuck his finger out, prompting a text box to appear before it.

'NAME ENTRY'.

"Well, I guess I'll go with Mantine. Not like any of the good names are taken yet. Heh." Of course, Mantine was not the boy's real name, but he commonly chose it for most online communities and as such, most of his friends knew him by it. Simply put, the name was derived from a manta ray Pokémon from his favorite series.

After browsing each option with great intent, Mantine finalized his character. At the suggestion of Kindon and Kite, he chose the Warrior class. This class used a fairly standard sword and shield combo, although the swords were almost big enough to give certain _Final Fantasy_ heroes a run for their money. These could eventually reclass into Knights, making for an effective tanking class that could still deal respectable damage. The combination of familiar weaponry and high health made it seem like an attractive starting class.

Mantine relaxed for a bit as he watched the game's introductory cutscene. A typical wise-sounding elderly man told the tale of the Divine Dragon Lord's world, El Grego, where humans and dragons lived in harmony until one day the black dragon Elga decided to wage war on humanity. With the help of the dragons, four heroes sealed him off in a barrier, but now the threat of his re-emergence was ever present. It was a fairly standard medieval fantasy story, but Dragon Saga was unique in that unlike most MMOs, it had a story and in fact could be effectively 'beaten'.

* * *

When the cinematic was over, Mantine found himself in Odella, Town of Beginnings. He peered at his surroundings, awestruck at the new world into which he had just emerged. "Dayum! This is just the starter town? I tell you, Lumbridge ain't got nothing on this!" he said, sizing up the town's centerpiece; a grand water fountain. He approached it and reached his hand out. Sure enough, he felt the unmistakable sensation of water coursing over his gloved hand.

Seeing this, he took the time to look over his own avatar. It didn't look that much different from his real self; it was a tall, thin young male with basic silver armor on. Replacing his usual black hair were long locks of periwinkle blue, fashioned into a silken ponytail that ran the length of his back. In the front were rough-cut fringe bangs that nearly covered one eye.

"Oh, there he is!" Snapping Mantine out of his daze was a familiar voice accompanying a chat icon on his heads-up display. As they promised, Kite and Kindon were waiting for him by the blacksmith's shop. Kindon played an Infiltrator, an advancement of the Thief class. Like the knight, it was melee-oriented but focused more on intricate combo strings and clever trickery. His character also looked more or less the same as his actual appearance, with long, brown hair flowing in a straight fashion. His armor consisted of gray cloth wrappings and pieces of metallic plating covering some vital areas. Each of his hands grasped jagged, navy-blue katars that took on a lighter hue towards the tips.

Kite, on the other hand, had chosen a Marksman, which was an upgraded type of Archer. This class forewent bows in favor of crossbows and could snipe from great distances with pinpoint accuracy. A large crossbow was holstered on his hip; the same color as Kindon's weaponry. His character however, was the subject of Mantine's stifled giggling. Although certainly male, Kite's avatar appeared rather androgynous, sporting feminine curves and voluminous rose colored hair. The tight, layered leather armor didn't help things, either.

"Bahahaha! Wow, Kite! You really pushed the character creator to its limits! You sure made one hot chick!" cackled Mantine. Kindon, despite having seen it before, joined in on having a little fun at his friend's expense. "Aww, Mantine! Don't give _her_ such a hard time, _she_ put hours into that character!" he said with a chuckle.

Kite did a snort laugh, knowing his friends only spoke in jest. "Hey, it's probably better than anything you two could get! We should head out soon and get started. Mantine, why don'tcha accept all the red quests around here so we can help ya out? Those are the mandatory ones, anyway."

As Kite had described, many of the town's non-player characters, or NPCs, had bright red exclamation marks floating a few inches above their heads. Mantine darted around Odella speaking to each NPC and adding their quests to his log menu. As he ran, he noticed that within the game, he was not bound by most normal physical limitations. He could run without tiring, dash on the ground, and even perform great leaps and midair sword combos. After getting a basic feel for the combat, Mantine joined his two comrades and exited Odella to Windia, the game's first combat area.

* * *

Before they knew it, the sun had began to set over the virtual world. Striking down giant mutated spiders, sheep, wolves had passed more time than they'd thought! The trio was relaxing on the roof of a house in Windia, gazing up at the orange sky. Kite edged himself over to Mantine and put a hand on his shoulder. "Soooo? Whatcha think?"

"It's a lot to take in at once, man. Thanks so much for showing me this game, guys, really. Honestly, I love it so far! Gotta tell you though, the hitstun is killer! I thought I was good at _Melee_ , but this… I'll have to take time adapting. Can't wait to get as good as you guys… Oh, hey! Has anyone beat the game yet?"

Kindon raised his head up and turned to Mantine with a raised eyebrow. "Kind of a stupid question, man. It's barely been out a day! Why do you ask?"

"Hmm…" Mantine put his hand on his chin and looked upwards. "Let's do it. Let's be the first ones to clear Dragon Saga." His companions looked at him with an air of surprise. "I know it seems like a crazy feat, but I think if we really put our minds to it… if we really get good, yeah."

Kite smiled at him. "Ah, Mantine, I can see the stars in your eyes. If that's the case, how 'bout we form a guild?" Mantine and Kindon both nodded eagerly at the idea. "I'd give you the honor of being guild master, but you gotta be at least level 20, and it's not like you have the money yet either way."

Mantine nodded again. "Fine by me, brah! I don't want to wait! I think you'll make a great leader, Kite!"

With his friend's confirmation, Kite opened up the guild menu, prompting a name entry box to appear. "Hmm, never thought about what we should call it."

Kindon piped up. "How about Mudkips, guys? For Mantine's LP!" The group murmured in agreement, and with a flick of Kite's finger, the Mudkips guild was officially founded. The word "Mudkips" appeared below each of their usernames, and their armor transitioned to a blue-and-orange color scheme, to match the color of the eponymous Pokémon.

Mantine stood up from his position and pointed his sword to the sun, its rays reflecting off the silver metal. "Now, I'm not one to get sentimental with you guys… certainly not over a game, but this is the start of something new for us, don'tcha think? Yes, the first chapter of the glorious Mudkips! I can see it now; the three of us crawling through damp grass, climbing rocky, rugged mountains, crossing the raging seas, wandering about in dark caves, and sometimes, even getting a little homesick.. Here, the rules of the real world don't apply. Our weapons alone can take us anywhere…"

"I guess it's a way to get out of the rut of my daily life, if anything." said Kindon, getting up with a stretch. "I always did like your outlook on life, Mantine." The three did a simultaneous fist bump, celebrating their newly-formed guild. "But if it's all the same to you guys," he continued, "I'm gonna turn in for the night. Lord knows my brother will have a conniption if he can't hog the PC all night."

Kite echoed his friend. "Same. I'm gonna hate myself if I miss the retro gaming trade tomorrow."

Mantine sheathed his weapon. "Oh, sure man! I was actually gonna head myself. I've got half of a garlic-chicken pizza I need to go ham on before the night's over. Thanks again, guys! Peace!" With this salutation, Mantine reached out a finger and opened the menu, scrolling down through each option.

"Uhh, noob question here, where's the logout button? I don't-" inquired Mantine as he double checked the list of options.

Kindon walked over to him. "Should be right there at the bottom. See?" He opened his own menu to show his friend.

There was no logout option.

Kite fiddled with his menu a bit before coming to the same conclusion as his friends. "Ah, must be some sorta bug. Y'know how these games are when they first release; no one cares about putting out a finished product as long as they make that bank."

"Augh! My pizza! Everyone knows those things are no good reheated! And I'm gonna miss Café Cappuccino tomorrow, no! Isn't there, like, some other way to logout? There's gotta be a failsafe or somethin'!" exclaimed Mantine as he collapsed to the ground.

Kite shook his head. "Nope. Remember, these things are connected to our nerve centers. This ain't _Halo_." He thought to himself for a moment. "Shit. I'll contact one of the GMs, see what they can do."

Before he could even begin composing a text message, Kite was teleported out of sight. Kindon quickly befell the same fate. Mantine gasped. "Wha-" was all that came out of his mouth before he too was automatically teleported. He appeared back at the fountain in Odella. One by one, players began popping up all around him. He quickly sifted through the crowd and located Kite and Kindon. "Yo, what happened?" They shrugged at him in unison.

Players continued to warp in until everyone on the server crowded the town square. A flash of crimson light engulfed the town, turning the orange sky red. Emerging from the resulting mist was a giant projection of a man. The best way he could be described is looking like Jack Nicholson, complete with dark sunglasses, slicked-back hair, and a devilish grin. He held a silver cane and wore a long, flowing crimson robe. The crowd became restless, with gasps and panicked inquiries of what was happening drowning one another out.

"Good evening." The mysterious figure's deep, booming voice silenced the entire crowd. "I'm all too sure that each of you gamers out there have noticed you no longer have the ability to log out of Dragon Saga. Let me assure you, this is fully intentional."

The crowd protested in confusion, only to be silenced by the man's voice once again. "Allow me to fill you in. My name is Eugene Wesley. If that name sounds familiar, it is because I am in charge of the American servers for Dragon Saga Online. In truth, I decided to turn this revolutionary game into an experiment. First and foremost, I will lay down some ground rules for you all. Dying in this game no longer results in such trivialities as a simple loss of EXP and respawning. When your character's health reaches zero, the NerveGear will release microwaves directly into the brain, effectively killing the wearer. Attempting to physically remove the headset by an outside force will produce similar results and is not advised. No, only when the game's main quest is cleared will I allow you to return to reality."

The panic within the crowd reached a fever pitch, rife with screams and cries for help. Mantine turned to Kindon and Kite with gritted teeth. "Come on... this guy can't be serious, right? It's gotta be some kinda elaborate troll!" he reasoned, trying to convince himself more than anything. The trio stared back at the towering robed figure in steadfast defiance, but their blood began to run cold. It certainly didn't help matters than the Town's peaceful, light music continued to play over the grim announcement.

"Rest assured" he continued, "my funds have allowed me to dispatch the most skilled doctors to take care of your physical bodies. Likely as I speak, you are being moved to the nearest hospital. Nutrients will be fed into you intravenously to maintain your bodies, and you will be watched over at all hours. I am not a cruel man; rather I simply wanted a world in which I was deified. Where I controlled the fates of its population. With this game, I have achieved my lifelong goal. To clear the game, you must reach Black Claw Nest on the far end of the Continent of Chaos. If just one person can clear the game, you will all be free. On this, you have my solemn promise. Ah, one final thing."

He pointed his robed arm toward the large, black wall displaying the high scores. Each name was erased until the list was cleared, then reshuffled until the numbers were gone and every player was listed in alphabetical order. "The hiscores have been repurposed into a more practical use. Upon death, a player's name will change to red and display the time and cause of death. I hope that leaves you with some extra incentive to clear my game. I have divulged to you all can; I must bid farewell."

With those words, Eugene disappeared in another flash of crimson. Fear began to wash over the crowd. Then fear gave way to full-blown panic and hysteria. The other players scattered in all directions, screaming and trying to find other ways to log out. Many of them bumped into the Mudkips and knocked them to the floor, and others were nearly trampled in the confusion.

The three of them all scrambled to their feet and hid in the dark, quiet alley where thieves initially began the game. As much as they didn't want to admit it, they were just as afraid as the rest of the unwitting players. However, it was here, in this alley, that the guild collected themselves and, over the course of the next hour, talked each other down until they could hash the dire situation out.

"...sounds like a plan. We'll hit up every quest we come across, then." confirmed Kite. "If what that man said is true, it looks like bosses are gone for good once they're defeated. I've got a feeling we'll need every last ounce of experience to keep going."

Mantine nodded sharply. "There's no denying how bad this looks, I know. Don't get the wrong idea... deep down, I'm quakin' in my boots... but as long as I live, I'll continue to be the source of positivity you know me as! I don't know about you two, but what he did to us is making my blood boil... so let's do our part to _humiliate him_."

Kindon shot the blue-haired man a fierce gaze. "If you don't stop that, you're gonna get me all worked up, you know that? I may joke about it sometimes, but I'm completely serious here; I've felt for a long time that my life has been near-worthless. If we save this game... this world, I- er, we'll be remembered as heroes for the rest of our lives. If I die, I'm gonna die a hero... but that's not happening!"

Kite put a hand on each of his friends' shoulders. "Positive, I like it. Look, we'll get the best rewards if we head out for Advanced Windia and get all the red quests done in the mission map there. As a team, I think we can hold up okay. Let's not waste any time!"

With that, the Mudkips sprinted out of Odella and made a beeline for the game's first mission map. These were tougher than standard combat maps, but Kindon and Kite could remove the major threats until Mantine was up to speed with them.

As the trio ran down the worn-looking road, Mantine said to himself, in the most angrily defiant tone he could muster " _Get ready, Eugene._ _You're going to suffer for what you've caused today. We can win!_ "

 _ **On the former hiscores, a few of the names around Mantine's began to turn red and cross out.**_


	2. 2 - Aria on the Starlit Sea

**Author's notes:** _ **Herein lies my first "fix", as it were. Even with SAO's perceived difficulty, I found it a little hard to believe that a bunch of people this psyched for a game could have such little knowledge of it as to be unable to find and defeat even the first boss. Instead, this focuses on the first boss I and many other players had some minor trouble with. Otherwise, this reflects the second episode of the anime.**_

* * *

 **Chapter Two – Aria on the Starlit Sea**

 **6** **th** **of February, 2022**

 **Mantine's log:**

 **[Mantine]  
[Warrior]  
[Lv. 20]  
** **  
**It has been exactly one month since the day we were trapped in the cursed death game, Dragon Saga Online. Out of the ten-thousand players that the server held, over two-thousand have met their end. This game was tougher than most had bargained for. A combination of unexpectedly powerful monsters, sadistic player-killers, and suicides had significantly thinned our playerbase. Luckily, I fancy myself a quick learner, and have managed to survive without too many close calls, thanks in part to my guildmates.

Other than the Mudkips, only one other guild remains fighting on the front lines. Needless to say that no one's come close to clearing the game yet. Everyone else gave up after successive failed attempts at the first few missions and decided to accept their fates, settling down and starting lives in Odella. Some even made the deadly trek to the game's hub town, Port of the Winds. They've long since given up any hope of returning to the real world.

I finally reached level 20, and today I will advance to the Knight class, but it will require the defeat of a newly-discovered boss.

Despite my lower level, I have pulled my weight thus far, but advancing to the second class will allow me to make good on the big game I'm talking up. Whatever it takes.

Hope my family's okay. Don't worry about me.

Probably gonna miss the fucking Super Bowl. Don't even know if the Cowboys made it. Ah, fuck it.

* * *

 **Port of the Winds**

A set of makeshift 'bleachers' was set up near the docks in the largest town in El Grego, called Port of the Winds. The Mudkips, alongside the other guild and a handful of solo players, sat in the rows, leaning in to listen to a man in the middle who was running a battle plan by the gathering. Lorewise, the town was a central trading port connected to the seas and other important places. The port was safe from any monsters, as well as player-versus-player activity unless both parties agreed to it. In addition, NPCs within the town offered all the basic services a player could need, and there was more than enough housing should any players decide to take up residence. On top of all that, the port town's incredibly welcoming atmosphere and comforting music helped many players take their minds off of the fact that they were trapped inside a game.

"Ah-hem! Everyone, may I have your attention, please? You may call me Popcorn... and in this game, the class I play is a Knight!"

The man stationed in the center of the bleachers made this announcement with a loud, steady tone, and thrust his sword in the air triumphantly with an over-the-top pose. The gesture illicited little more than stifled snickering from everyone watching. "What is this, a roleplay server?! Hahaha, come on!" jeered Kindon, no doubt in an attempt to lighten the mood a little.

Popcorn looked clearly embarrassed, but regained composure and continued. "That aside... on with the subject of today's meeting! The location of the next major boss has been discovered! I sent a scouting detail to the shipyard, and as it turns out... the docks extend further than we initially reported! The path was in fact obscured by a strange haze of sorts... but now, the path is clear!"

Mantine raised his hand as though he were in class, confident that whatever he was about to say would be helpful to the group. Popcorn pointed to him and temporarily gave him the floor. "Yes, Mantine, of the Mudkips guild! What is it you have to add?"

"Uhh, I was actually a day late to this game... sir?" he said unsteadily.

"Popcorn is fine."

"Right! I did manage to read up on some of the game's early bosses on the official website. If my info's good, our opponent is called Captain Hookah, the Dread Pirate. Don't let the name fool you; he's a giant undead shark pirate with a preference for ranged attacks. He'll be supported by a group of starfish demons, all of which can stunlock you for a long time with their spin attacks. Hookah himself initially uses a blunderbuss, but at half health, he'll switch to a repeating pistol. I don't know anything more than you guys beyond that, but it might be a good idea to plan your attacks accordingly." explained the sky-blue warrior.

"Thank you, Mantine!" Popcorn responded with a thumbs-up. "We'll take that into-"

"Hold it! Hold it, hold it, HOLD IT!" interrupted another young man loudly, as he sprinted toward the center of the meeting area, crudely sliding down the sloped edge and planting himself firmly beside Popcorn. "Big fella... you aint' seriously gonna listen to this guy, are ya?!"

He calmly put his hand on the ornery man's shoulder. "Calm yourself, Saffron. He only means to aid us!"

"That's r-" Mantine attempted to speak up, before flinching at Saffron, who stomped toward him angrily. Mantine sized the guy up; he sported the same color armor as Popcorn and several others attending the meeting, likely a part of the other guild. His hair was light blonde and abnormally spiked.

"...You! Don't think I'm not wise to what you've been up to! I know you ain't legit." he barked, pointing his finger on Mantine's chest. When his angered face was met with confusion, he elaborated, "Don't play dumb! I saw you AFK in the Port for almost a week! No way in hell you got to level 20... let alone found that sword of yours without some kinda exploit! Clearly you found somethin' that ain't been patched yet, boy."

Indeed, the blade Mantine carried on his back was a rare Arcfire Sword, the best weapon a warrior could carry without reclassing. Unlike the previous weapons, it was an uncommon drop from early mission maps rather than a guaranteed quest reward. It was also upgraded to plus-four, meaning Mantine had to find enough resources to fortify it at a blacksmith. Admittedly, it was slightly suspicious that a 'new' player would come across such a thing so easily.

The truth of the matter was, Mantine had found the sword through legitimate means while training with his guild. Repair powder was a fairly common find, but even then it had taken most of the money he'd scraped together to pay the smith for fortification. Not only that, but he had encountered Saffron just a day earlier. He had approached Mantine unassumingly and made a friendly offer to buy the sword off of him. Saffron drove a hard bargain, but Mantine had ultimately turned the man away at the suggestion of Kite. As for the claim of him being AFK, he had actually fallen asleep without changing his character animation through the emote menu, something he often forgot to do.

Before Mantine could muster up a counterargument, a dark-skinned man rose from the seats and took the floor. "Ahem! Don't step too far outta line, Saffron."

This statement alone was enough to silence the blonde swordsman.

"Now, I'm not here to be a defense attorney, but I have no reason to believe that Mantine has been exploiting any sort of glitch or other cheat. As for the info he provided... well, if I recall, each and every one of you had ample time to read up on the early bosses before the game even released. It would appear that most of you used your free time on... other endeavors." he said in a deep, smooth voice.

Saffron choked up for a second before protesting again. "Y-yeah, well... why should I listen to you?! Who the hell are you anyway?!"

"I go by Chocolate Desire." he said, giving Saffron a cold stare. "Anyways, what say we settle any differences we might have and take this boss down together?"

The crowd murmured in agreement. Kite tapped Mantine's shoulder once he sat back down. "What's that bloke's problem?" he whispered. "Ain't that the guy who was tryna buy your sword off of you?"

Mantine nodded. "Looks like him."

"You nearly accepted the trade, too. It's like I told ya, most of y'all are stuck with your level 10 weapons until you reclass. Holding onto that thing's gonna do you a lot more good than the gold it's worth." he asserted.

Mantine smiled at Kite warmly. "I know, I know. Thanks, man. You're a life-saver!"

"Ahem! Moving on!" shouted Popcorn, gathering the crowd's attention once more after the small outburst had subsided. "I'm proud of everyone who had the courage to gather here! Both my own guild; the Guardian Force, as well as the valiant Mudkips guild!

More stifled laughter came from the audience. "'Guardian Force'? What a _weeb!_ "

" _...Moving on_. Your service means a lot to us. Together, we should be able to bring down the next boss, and those of you at the appropriate level will advance to a new class! How exciting! Now... as for the plan of action. At your levels, stat boosts are limited, but I've figured out the best way to make use of the switching mechanic – we'll all pair off! Simply put, we'll spread out and engage the boss and his supports, one member of a pair switching when the other is injured."

Immediately upon this declaration, the players all started to form pairs. Behind Mantine, Kite and Kindon quickly joined together. Kindon looked at the lone swordsman with a hint of regret. "Sorry, man. There's three of us, so one of us has got to pick another partner. I'm a melee-oriented class like you, so I synergize better with Kite. Don't worry, we'll have your back."

Mantine slid away from his friends. " _We'll have your back..."_ he parroted Kindon mockingly. He eyed up everyone in the seats, noting several players seated by themselves. _Must all be solo players... who's that?!_ he thought, his gaze turning to a young woman dressed in cream-colored mage robes with stylized cat ears on the hood. Her face was partially obscured, but she appeared to be of Asian descent. Wavy strands of scarlet hair rested just before her shoulders. _Whoa... now there's somethin' to look at. Cute... and thicc! She really fills out those robes too!_

Mantine scooted over next to the woman. "Hey, there. Uhh, I'm Mantine. You don't look like you have a battle partner yet... wanna party up?"

She looked up at him unassumingly , and quietly spoke. "...I'm Morana. I was hoping the leader would just let me do this by myself... but fine. Just to warn you, I'm a mage class. Planning on promoting to cleric. You'll be doing all the up-close and personal stuff, is that okay?"

"Fine by me. I rush 'em down, you watch my back. That's how it works. Please try not to die." said Mantine, taking a closer look at the staff on her back.

Morana sighed. "I know. The one big blind spot..."

After this brief exchange, Mantine and Morana opened a menu screen, forming a temporary party. Mantine noticed that on his HUD, Morana's health and MP were now visible next to his own. Once everyone had formed pairs, Popcorn rallied them to march out to the docks. "Is everyone ready?!" he shouted. Met with roars of fervor, he couldn't help but smile. "Then let's go forth! For the preservation of all the lives remaining!"

 **Bearded Whale Coast**

The trek toward the previously obscured path was unusually light. The monsters along the way posed little threat to the large group, and could easily be passed with minimal aggression so long as no one lingered behind. The area's general theme spurred Mantine into loudly humming the Gangplank Galleon theme from the _Donkey Kong_ series, with Kindon, Kite, and any others who knew the tune chiming in to boost the small army's morale, even if only by a little.

Before long, they had reached the glowing portal that surely lead to the lair of the boss. Two by two, the players entered until all thirty-something of them were spread out and poised for battle. Each one remained close to their partner and clutched their weapon tightly, waiting with bated breath as they steeled themselves to fight their toughest enemy yet; an enemy they knew next to nothing about. In their heads, everyone was formulating their own strategy based on what Mantine had said before.

The arena itself was a waterlogged treasure chamber with a very clear pirate motif. Gems and gold trinkets littered the floor, scattered over soaked skull-and-crossbones flags. Open treasure chests dotted the area too, most of them splintered and long empty. A low fog crept over the ground, and the air tasted of sea salt.

"Listen up!" Popcorn's voice boomed. "Everyone on this side, with me!" he commanded, pointing toward the players who had teleported through first, on the leftmost end of the arena. "Everyone else, group with Saffron!"

Much to Mantine's chagrin, he and Morana were two of the last ones through the portal, and had landed themselves on the right end. "Fine. Long as he doesn't bitch at me."

Saffron didn't dignify his statement with a response... not that he'd have the chance, as the whole room began to quake! Reacting to the group's presence, the area boss spawned on the opposite end!

Captain Hookah was a gruesome sight to behold. His head was indeed that of a shark's, but the game's designers appeared to have pushed the graphics to their limits to drive home just how ravaged this thing had become. Its skin took on a sickly dark purple appearance, nearly black in some spots. Many of its razor-sharp scales had been worn away revealing scarred patches, with several of them exposing raw muscle and tendon. Fitting for a pirate, one of his eyes was clearly gouged out, leaving a rotten, gaping hole. His misshapen, vaguely humanoid body was draped in what used to be traditional pirate garb, tattered and soaked beyond repair.

For all of Captain Hookah's flaws, the deafening roar he loosed at the players did a fine job showing off his rows upon rows of perfectly white, razor-sharp teeth! A very long health bar appeared above his head as he savagely gnashed them at his opponents, drawing his old-fashioned gun and taking aim! Just as Mantine said, four starfish demons spawned around him, staring the enemy down with eerily stitched faces.

Popcorn and Saffron gave their respective commands, and both sides charged in! It had hardly taken the blink of an eye for the chamber had become a warzone! Hookah himself fired the blunderbuss as though it were a modern-day machine gun, targeting several players at once! Mantine and the other warriors rushed forth to block the round bullets with their shields, while Kite managed to shoot down a handful of them with his crossbow.

Kindon saw an opening to go on the offensive, nodding at Kite. The assassin dashed toward Hookah, too fast for his gunfire to keep up! Joining his side was Chocolate, who had switched with his partner just moments before. Kindon viciously dug into Hookah's scales, making sure to target the open wounds just to spite him! Hookah flailed around until Kindon was flung off, and Chocolate got a brutal sword slash in just before the dreaded shark recovered!

Hookah wasn't about to take this lightly, however. He turned his gun skyward and blasted what looked like bright green bullets! These quickly arced downward, revealing that they weren't bullets at all, but magic nets! They cast themselves wide, capturing several players underneath! Though they did not last forever, it took many hacks and slashes to break free, and simply touching the net left each player feeling weakened for a moment.

The net had mostly affected Popcorn's group, as those following Saffron were doing a fantastic job of keeping the starfish demons busy. As soon as their spin attacks stunned one player, their partner would get in a cheap shot, chipping away their lengthy health bars. Curiously Popcorn had been hanging back for much of the battle, only attacking when he was sure the boss and his minions were too busy to retaliate. His eyes grew shifty, glancing over to Hookah's health meter every few seconds. _Just perfect. Get to half. Get to half. Come on. Just need to get the last hit, then everyone will love me! Not to mention, that last hit drop'll me all mine!_

Indeed, the valiant heroes hacking away at the towering shark pirate eventually brought it down to its halfway point. A watery pulse of aura surrounded him for just long enough to knock his attackers on his feet as he entered his second phase! Hookah spat out a few bloody teeth, angrily tossed his gun aside, and drew instead...

 _Perfect, perfect! I'll block that peashooter of his and use my special attack! Yeah!_

...a heavy cannon! Hookah stomped the ground, stunning everyone for a moment while he targeted the closest player – Popcorn! A volley of three cannonballs assailed the group's leader before he could evade! With little other choice, he went through with his initial plan and raised his shield and activated a defense buff, hoping it would be enough to soften the blow.

Needless to say, it wasn't. The first cannonball shattered his shield to bits, the second knocked the wind out of him, and the third tore into his chest, sending him crashing to the ground!

Breaking free from the hitstun, Mantine and Morana rushed to Popcorn's aid as the others returned to battle. "Stay with me!" Morana demanded, casting a heal spell at Popcorn's limp body.

...nothing happened. Mantine propped him up on his arm and thrust a red health potion into his hand... but he refused. Mantine felt his blood rush to his head. He was dumbfounded by the man's refusal of aid.

Then he noticed that Popcorn's sliver of health continued to decrease gradually. The 'bleeding' status flashed next to his name. "It's too late for me... Mantine, Morana. Let me die a hero."

Mantine hugged Popcorn and fought back tears. He tried to protest, but was too distraught over witnessing what he slowly came to realize as the first ingame death he'd seen in person. "By the way, I believed what you said..."

With those words, Popcorn's body faded into a glimmer of blue light fragments, signaling his demise.

Mantine's body shook, and the other onlookers were equally horrified. However broken they were by the loss of their commander, everyone continued to fight. Infact, they fought harder than before, each one desiring to avenge his death. Kite and Chocolate had finally slain two of the starfish demons, and even Saffron managed to keep one busy on his own. Popcorn's death, it appeared, had taken the opposite effect of what Hookah had hoped, if he was capable of such a thing.

Mantine was no exception. Rather, his rage grew even more violent than the others. Hookah's health had been taken down significantly by this point, and Mantine saw an opening. With fire in his eyes, his sword took on a bright glow as he sprinted toward the shark pirate! On his signal, Morana held her staff high, delivering a constant stream of healing magic!

"Consider this battle over the moment you thought you'd get away with taking our leader down!" roared the blue-haired swordsman, his emotions reaching a blinding fever pitch as his body began to spin. "I ain't letting anyone else die! Storm blade burst!"

With his command, Mantine held out his sword the second he was within range to strike Hookah! His entire body twirled rapidly until it obscured itself in an orange tornado! The rapid series of slashes stunned the weakened Hookah, and Morana swapped her healing spell to drop a barrage of smoldering meteors on the undead pirate! Soon Hookah found himself in his own personal blender, and one final strike from Mantine's blazing blade finished the job! He made an intentionally-stylish landing as the mighty boss fell before the party at last!

The raid party gave a short, resounding cheer as Mantine twirled his blade and placed it on his back, dusting off his hands. For a moment, he basked in the glory of his first major ingame accomplishment. Kite and Kindon were approaching him to shake his hand when...

"HEY, HEY! NOW WAIT JUST A GODDAMN MINUTE!"

Saffron's loud protest silenced the group. "Gimme a fuckin' break! You guys aren't actually cheerin' for the guy who got Popcorn killed, are ya?!"

At first, Mantine gave a confused look as the crowd gave murmurs of mixed reactions.

Saffron's face only grew angrier. "Don't act like you don't know what the hell I'm talkin' about! Mantine over here gave our leader bad info about the boss' weapons!"

"You dont- I didn't know-" Mantine stammered, trying to clear things up.

"Shut the fuck up, dude. I bet you did it on purpose, too. Yeah, hear that, everyone! Mantine lied to Popcorn on purpose so _he_ could get the last hit bonus for himself! Greedy bastard!" growled the spiky-haired man with clear resentment. "Like I said before, he's a cheater anyway! No way he leveled up so quickly legit! It wasn't just him, either! That lousy Mudkips guild was in on it all along! Hmph, must've wanted all the glory to themselves. Shame on you!"

Gradually, his words began to sway the crowd in his favor. The cheering from moments ago gave way to boos and crude insults. Kite and Kindon were both shoved to the floor and kicked.

Mantine sunk to his knees. Morana, and Chocolate turned their eyes to him, giving looks of genuine worry. They were among the few players not condemning the Mudkips.

 _What's this fuckboy's problem?! Of course I didn't give bad info on purpose! The boss index must've been going off of info from the beta! Oh, this is bullshit..._ He thought, as the rowdy Texan inside him replaced his passive, apologetic mindset. _You guys don't appreciate me, huh? Well, then..._

Mantine rose to his feet... and began laughing. Laughing in the most mocking tone he could muster. The party fell silent, save for Saffron, who glared at him with contempt. "What the hell's so funny?!"

The blue-haired swordsman cracked his neck and met Saffron's glare with a wide smirk. "Oh... nothin'. I just love how quick you are to assume things about me." he said, sauntering towards the man with a swagger in his walk and hands casually sunk in his pockets. "You _were_ close. See, it was _my_ plan all along to get the last hit bonus. How could I pass that up?! Hahaha!"

Saffron was absolutely fuming. Mantine's words clearly did their job of getting under his skin. "Ah, Saffron... Saffron, Saffron, Saffron... baby. I'm downright insulted that you'd group me in with those... amateurs! Those absolute noobs you call the Mudkips?! They didn't suspect a thing! That's right, this entire plan was all me, baby. If you're gonna hate, give all that hate to me! It makes me stronger! Weaklings like the Mudkips didn't have a chance of being wise to my plans, but they made damn good pawns! Ahahaha!"

Kite and Kindon's jaws dropped in unison. What was Mantine saying?

 _ **Mantine has changed Mudkips Guild message**_  
 _ **-Play along.-**_

Mantine continued his walk over to the slain Hookah, who now had an item screen floating above him. He tapped his finger on it a few times, reaping the rewards.

 ** _-Class change!-_**  
 ** _-Warrior - Knight-_**

"Hey, wouldja look at that! I completed the quest! You folk can turn yours in whenever you're ready! Ooh! And check this last hit bonus out! It's my lucky day!" he said condescendingly.

 ** _-Spike Armor set-_**

"Yeah, all six pieces! I'm a big-time player now, eh?" Mantine equipped the full armor set, now resembling a proper knight with thick, layered armor and a prominent helmet plume. Sporting his new gear, he swaggered over to Saffron one last time. "You were right about one thing - I was using a juicy exploit they forgot to patch... had you asked nicely, I woulda shared it with you. Too bad I can't exactly be banned for it now, can I? Now if you'll excuse me... I'm outta here. Your voices are all so grating!"

 _ **-Disband party with player "Morana"**_  
 _ **-Leave guild "Mudkips"-**_

Several members of the party gasped; Mantine had actually made good on his claim and left his guild, his armor turning from blue-and-orange to a standard metallic silver. As he approached the exit portal, he turned back to Morana. "You, though... Hey. Morana, was it? Credit where it's due, you're actually pretty good at this. I don't want you running around with me, but don't roll with a crowd like this either. It'd be a waste if you got yourself killed, y'know. You're actually kinda cute."

Morana covered her mouth and lightly blushed. "See ya." Mantine said plainly, waving as he exited the portal, leaving the victorious group to their own devices.

* * *

 _Mantine's facade couldn't have worked better._

...Of course, Kite and Kindon had easily caught onto the true nature of their friend's little stunt. Half an hour later, they met up in Port of the Winds, and promptly re-invited him into the Mudkips. His friends couldn't help but give him props for fooling so many people at once. There was obviously no 'exploit' of any kind; Mantine just couldn't resist pushing every one of that ornery player's buttons.

...and of course, the secret of Popcorn's ulterior motive had died with him, and Mantine and the rest were none the wiser. Just as he desired, Popcorn had died a hero. The Mudkips joined a few other players in paying their respects by saluting his name on the former hiscores wall.

Though the ordeal didn't go as smooth as they had hoped, Mantine and his friends had proved instrumental in the defeat of the toughest boss yet. Thanks to them, several players, including the mysterious Morana, would be able to reach their second class and continue fighting. The bond between Mantine, Kite, and Kindon felt stronger than ever. From this point forward, they would focus on not only fighting on the front lines to clear the game, but recruiting more players into the guild to bolster their own power. As today's battle had proven, forging the path ahead would be no easy task, but it was on this day that the heroic guild learned to look back into the face of adversity and bear their teeth.

Fight on, Mudkips! Fight on for the liberation of our lives!


	3. 3 - The Azure Knight

**Author's notes:** _ **You might recall the third episode of SAO as the "Christmas episode" chronicling Kirito's time with the Moonlit Black Cats. You might also remember the ludicrous amount of time that gets skipped over in said episode. Therefore, this chapter will instead reflect more on the events of the fourth episode. The next major dungeon even has an animal theme, yay! The Christmas chapter reflecting episode 3 will happen later, however. For now, enjoy this one.**_

 **Chapter 3 – The Azure Knight**

 **8th of February, 2022**

 **Mantine's log**

 **[Mantine]**

 **[Knight]**

 **[Lv. 24]**

I'm feeling better. Not exactly what I'd call "good", but better, to say the least. I hate to boast... oh, who am I kidding, I love it! Gotta say, I felt like a total badass pulling that facade the other day. The look on Saffron's face was just cathartic. I always was a good liar.

Not long after our victory against Hookah, the Mudkips unanimously decided to make it a top priority to recruit new guild members, as the three of us could only take the fight so far. Normally, such a task would prove difficult, with many of the game's players either swearing fealty to the Guardian Force, or lacking the resolve to fight at all. However, it seems that word of my victory that day spread quickly, inspiring a number of players to take up arms and fight for their freedom.

Some even began to sing my praises, referring to me as the Azure Knight. While I do wish they would've chosen something more original in lieu of an obvious Soul Calibur reference, it certainly feels nice to be spoken of as though I were a figure of Arthurian legend.

Kindon, that clever thief, had already discovered the location of the next major boss. Evidently, it was deep within Port of the Winds' city hall sewers. I could only wonder what lurked that deep below the peaceful port town, but if facing it meant progress, we had little choice in the matter.

* * *

 **Port of the Winds**

Until now, it had not occurred to Mantine, Kite, and Kindon just how beautiful of a sight Port of the Winds was. During this time of year, powder snow fell, blanketing the ground as clouds hung overhead, giving the town just the right amount of lighting that you could fall asleep under its gentle caress, if you desired. Everything about the Port made even the most shaken-up player feel safe, if only for that moment, and the music that played throughout was comforting and oddly nostalgic. While the new members they recruited were off training and gathering supplies, the three friends laid on their backs, conversing as they took everything in under the snowfall.

"...You don't remember Doctor Ferrell?" questioned Kindon to Mantine. "Don't tell me you haven't been paying attention to the lore..."

Mantine turned his head in Kindon's direction. "I think fighting for our lives takes a bit of precedence. Plus, these MMO stories are all the same, y'know? Anyways, he any relation to Will?" he asked, referring to the actor as he couldn't help but crack a smile. "'Cuz I smoked pot with Johnny Hopkins.'"

"Be serious, wouldja, 'Azure Knight'?" Kite scolded. "We're almost sure he's the boss we'll be up against beneath the sewers. The lore's really playin' him up to be a badass, not to mention a real psycho. With those mad scientist=types, you never know, so we should be on our toes. There may be other surprises down there..."

* * *

 **City Hall Sewers**

While the Mudkips pondered what lurked below them, some adventurers, whether very brave or very, very foolish, had already began to explore for themselves. One such brave soul was a girl no older than thirteen. She'd reluctantly entered the sewers, alone save for the reason she was there in the first place – a small, curious pig followed close behind. An animal handler NPC in Port of the Winds gave out a quest to new arrivals, with the reward being one of a selection of pet familiars. Much like other traditional MMOs, these pets could be taken care of, and would benefit the player by fighting for them and providing a stat boost.

However, much like the real world, these animals needed food to stay alive. Buying it proved too expensive for the young girl's wallet, but the animal handler did offer a follow-up quest to obtain more for free. The only catch was, the pet food stash was hidden away somewhere deep in the sewers. With no other option, she and her pig descended the manhole and began the search...

Like Kite, she chose the hunter class. Preferring to avoid direct combat, she had, so far, gotten by with simply sniping her enemies from afar, with her new pig providing an additional source of damage when needed.

...that is to say, so far. Unfortunately for her, it didn't take long for her to get lost in the mazelike sewers, encountering stronger and more gruesome monsters at each turn. Predictably, it also became darker the deeper she went.

The inevitable ambush came in the form of three giant albino wolves. The gaunt canines moved with blinding speed, closing the distance with little effort before she could get a single shot off! When her eyes adjusted to the darkness, closer inspection revealed that the wolves were horribly mutated, with asymmetric faces and limbs of unnatural length. These must've been some of Farrell's rumored experiments, and they appeared quite starved.

Within moments, the girl found herself cornered, trembling with absolute fear as she clutched her crossbow in violently shaking hands.

 _W-what.. do I do now... Which one do I shoot... Even if I shoot one, I can't reload in time, they're too close..._

Before she could process her thoughts, one of the white wolves pounced, meeting the girl's fearful, wide eyes with a crazed look of hunger! Moments before it struck, the small pig leapt in front of her and attempted to tackle the beast!

"Tocino! DON'T-"

An agonizing squeal echoed all throughout the sewers. The girl didn't dare look on, shielding her face with her arms.

The great wolf was indeed stunned for a moment... but not before it had the chance to sink its gangly claw into the poor pig. The girl sprinted to its aid, but before she could touch it, it faded away and left behind a pink crystal. Holding it in both palms, she peered down at what was left of her pet and sobbed in anguish. The other two wolves were slowly closing in on her. The young girl began to feel faint. Not only had she failed her quest and lost the pet she was entrusted with, but she was about to meet the same fate, and there wasn't a thing she could do about it. She slumped against the gray wall, shut her eyes tight, and awaited death.

" _METEOR... CRUSH!"_

She couldn't see where the voice was coming from at first... and then, a pair of smoldering black rocks lit up the corridor, slamming into the two wolves! Cracking and splintering of bone were clearly audible; the beasts were thoroughly mangled beyond recognition. The flames from the meteors were enough to illuminate their source – another woman, slightly older and sporting cream-colored robes and strikingly scarlet hair.

With a wave of her staff, a third meteor flattened the last wolf into a bloodstain. She rushed toward the girl, queuing up a healing spell. "Hold on, I've got you!"

Still trembling, she slowly opened her eyes and looked up at her savior. "I-I'm not hurt, b-but..." she said, holding out the remains of her pet.

"Shit!" the woman cursed, punching the sewer wall with a resounding _thunk_. "God-fucking-dammit! Too late... If I'd just got here a second earlier..." _No... I have to stay calm... to set an example..._ "but at least you're safe. You got a name?"

"I-I'm... Jin." she said meekly.

The woman offered her hand, pulling Jin up to a standing position. "Well met, Jin. My name is Morana."

Using the wall to support her shaking body, Jin looked at the tiny pink crystal once more and cried softly. "What's the use of saving me... Tocino, he's... gone..." her tears splashed onto her palm.

 _I just saved her life, and she's crying over a piece of data... what to do with this one...?_ "Ahem... please, no tears, little lady." she said in a calm, soothing tone, offering the cloth of her robe to dry Jin's eyes. "Survivors have to be strong, after all."

The young huntress looked up at the cleric, then hung her head jadedly.

"I understand." conceded Morana. "It's your pet, right?"

She slowly, silently nodded and looked up at Morana with wide, distressed eyes.

"That quest to earn one isn't easy, I hear. You must be quite a strong player to clear it on your own." she said with a warm smile.

Jin blushed a little. "You really think so... but..."

"Look, I shouldn't be giving this info out for free... however, a reliable source tells me that deep within the sewers lies a special item. The 'Red Jewel of Farrell'. If we can get to it in two hours, it should be able to revive your pet." she explained, hoping her purchase from the info broker back in town was worth it.

Immediately, Jin's eyes lit up as she dried the last of her tears. "R-really?! I'd do anything to- but it seems like we're already so deep in the sewers..."

"I dropped 20 G for that nugget of wisdom, so it'd better be legit... From what I gather..." said Morana, "Well, there are a few locked doors down here. Hard to see without a light source, I know. We'll need to nab a few keys, otherwise we're just going in circles. Speaking of which..."

She carefully made her way over to the wolves' smoldering bodies... Jin recoiled and gasped lightly, fearing one might get up. Sure enough, one of them displayed an item icon above the mangled mess of bone and fur.

 **[[White Key]]**

"...thought so. Looks like some of the monsters here will drop the keys we need... so let's get to work." she commanded, looking down at the girl's red crossbow. "You're a hunter, right?"

She nodded once again with a timid "Mhm."

"Okay, in that case, let me take point." said Morana. "Stay a few paces behind me, and... you'd better watch my back. Shoot down whatever my magic can't handle. Got that?" she commanded sternly.

"O-okay..." Jin replied, readying her weapon.

With that, the two continued traversing the network of dank tunnels, stone walls, and eroded pipes. Just a few paces away from the wall Jin had found herself cornered against, they located a wide, wooden double door swallowed up by the darkness. Morana ignited a small torch, revealing a heavy chained lock wrapped around it. Luckily for them, the lock was colored white, corresponding to the key they'd found moments earlier. The key turned, clicked, and the chains fell apart, granting them access to the next sewer chamber.

To their surprise, monsters within the sewer's halls were quite sparse, and it was Morana who took the initiative to break the silence of their trek. "So... who are you, anyway? I mean... I know your name, but... tell me a little about yourself."

"Well, I, uhh..." Jin replied nervously. "My parents got me this game because they thought it'd help me make friends... it didn't pan out too well." her voice quietly echoed, harmonizing with the drips of water as they walked.

Morana nodded at her. "I can see that. It's funny you should say that, though... I picked up this game for the same reason. My parents were always getting on my case about how I needed to be more social."

Jin tilted her head, confused. "You...? But I thought grown-ups had lots of friends. ...like on the show!" she said, referring to the sitcom of the same name.

"Wouldn't it be nice if that were the truth." lamented Morana. "I don't like opening up to strangers, so listen well. I wasn't exactly well-liked in the real world. My schoolmates and I, well... we didn't get along. Many of them didn't take kindly to the way I acted, and I ended up having to... teach them a lesson. My actions got me put away in a... well, a special place for a while. A place where I could be alone with my thoughts. My family suggested online gaming as a way to come out of my shell, and... well, you see how that ended up."

Jin shook her head side-to-side rapidly. "Don't put yourself down! You helped take down that big, mean ol' shark, I heard! That's awesome!"

"It's funny you should bring that up." said Morana, smiling faintly. "It was before that battle that I was nearly ready to pack it in and give up. But then... I met someone. A man who instilled something... no, awoke something that had been hidden within me. His actions that day were questionable, but... it gave me the push I need to keep going. And now, I'm going to give others like you that same push."

The young girl grew cheerful. "Yay! Let's keep going, then! But... are you sure we can save Tocino?"

Morana hesitated for a moment, then gave a confident nod. "Most people end up selling the jewel when after taking one look at the price before they see what it does. Early on, after everyone became trapped, there were rumors that it could revive players. Needless to say, it didn't take long for the first person to try that and realize how wrong they were..." she said, with an intense thousand-yard stare. "Your pet, however, is classified as a mortal object. If we're fast enough, the jewel should work."

"Morana, you're so awesome!" gushed Jin. Examination of the small pink crystal that was left of the pig revealed that it indeed had a timer in its item description, bearing a countdown of just under two hours. "We've gotta hurry, though! I'll shoot down those bad guys for you, I promise!"

Picking up the pace, Morana and Jin resumed their trek, hunting down each door and killing the monsters that guarded it until one of them coughed up the right key. Jin watched in awe as Morana wasted entire groups of mutated ogres, giant spiders, and malformed skeletons. For a class that was usually relegated to healing, her fighting style was berserk and unrelenting. An assault of spells froze, shocked, and incinerated the monsters before they could get close enough to attack. Supported by Jin's crossbow fire, the cleric had little trouble dealing with them.

"Jeez..." sighed Morana, slugging down a magic potion. "Compared to those big bad wolves from before, these guys ain't shit! I had to use up just about all my mana saving your ass, but now I'm almost having fun."

All together, they'd managed to find three more keys, allowing them through the remaining colored doors. Behind the last one was a large, swirling magic portal, crackling with lightning and smoke. The room also appeared to have several other chambers leading even deeper into the underground. The two girls sized up their options, with the portal being the main object of their fixation.

"Hmm... I'm not sure how I feel about going through there." thought Morana out loud. "Come to think of it, it looks kinda like the one we went through to fight Hookah. I'll bet all my cash and gear it's a boss room."

Jin was also staring at it with great intent. Fear began to wash over her once more, which Morana took immediate notice of.

 _Think, Morana, think... we're a little unprepared for a boss, and we've got some time left... not enough to go all the way back, but we should heal... Easy as the enemies down here were, every little hit that slips through our offense adds up..._

Jin tugged on Morana's robe. "Where should we go now?"

" _Aww, what's the matter, little girl? You lost?"_

The voice came from somewhere else in the chamber, and both girls could instantly feel that something was wrong. Out of the shadows stepped an older woman, slim and dressed in light violet armor and with purple hair, cut chin-length and covering one eye. Morana and Jin took a hostile stance.

"Ooh, my! Aren't I a lucky one? Two for the price of one, eh? I'm gonna take my time with you two." she hissed in a deep, smooth voice.

Morana furrowed her eyebrows and glared at the woman. "...and what the hell do you want with us?"

Cracking her knuckles and drawing a thin, white sword, she began circling them like a shark. "Don't worry, I'll make this quick. Simply lay down all your gold and items, and I'll allow you to leave. Refuse, and I'll take them by force."

Morana did her best to appear unfazed. "Fat chance, bitch. What kind of person thinks about player-killing in a... death game, anyway?! Who are you?"

Smirking, she flipped her hair and announced, "Very well. In your last moments alive, you may refer to me as Belladonna. My guild and I are going to have so much fun splitting all your stuff between us!"

"Wait, guild?!" questioned Morana. "There are only two guilds left fighting on the front lines, and you don't look like either of 'em. You're bullshitting."

Belladonna laughed. "Exactly, we're not interested in fighting on the front lines. We hold up unwitting idiots like you and help ourselves to their items, simple as that. Red player status was totally worth all the treasures we've found, and we've only just begun!"

It was only then that Jin and Morana noticed that the player name above the slender woman was infact red. This was the game's way of indicating a known player-killer. What really made their blood run cold was the realization that you had to attack and kill _several_ players to reach red status.

"Whatever." said Morana dismissively. "You don't look all that tough. I'll fry you before you can even get close to us."

"Will you, now?" Belladonna taunted, snapping her fingers. In response, three men, all roughly the same level, slid out of the darkness and joined their leader. Fittingly, they were all of the assassin class, wielding dual katars. They eyed the two girls up like starving hyenas and laughed gruffly, licking their weapons at the tip. Two of them were only orange players so far, with one sharing his leader's red status. Morana didn't even want to think about how many lives they must've claimed so far.

"What now, little girlies? Still want to test us?" said the tall woman condescendingly. "As you're about to learn, Night Shade doesn't fuck around, child." Her voice grew deadly serious.

 _...Shit. Now what? We're outnumbered two-to-one!_

Morana glanced over to Jin, the poor girl was frozen, trembling in sheer terror.

 _Who am I kidding, it's four-to-one; she can't fight like that!_

The women stared each other down like wild animals, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Morana bared her teeth and kept her heels dug in, but her resolve was showing signs of breaking down. The hands that tightly gripped her staff began to shake.

"Fine! If you can't decide what to do, I'll choose for you! Grab her!"

At his leader's command, one of the men dashed forth and restrained Jin before either one of them could react! The young girl gave a panicked scream, now fearing for her life. The assassin let go of one of his katars to force his hand over her mouth. He looked Morana in the eye and sneered.

Belladonna ordered her other to men to hang back and drew closer to Morana, sword at the ready. "Now, then; I won't ask again. Lay down your money and items, and be on your way. If you make even a single move, the child won't live long enough to see what we do to you." she demanded coldly.

Morana dropped her stance, her arms hanging at her sides. Was this really how she was going to die? Alone and afraid, failing to protect even one person?

" _You deaf or something? I said-!"_

Suddenly, her clenched fists began to tense up and shake. Through tears and gritted teeth, she growled, "Fucking coward! I won't let you push me around... I won't let things go the way you expect them to! I won't-"

 _Swoosh. Thunk._

The man that was restraining Jin began to lose his grip, then his entire body fell limp, collapsing onto the sewer floors.

 _Click._ Somewhere, someone had just reloaded a weapon. Sticking out of the assassin's neck was a navy-blue crossbow bolt.

Morana gasped, looking around the room in a confused panic. Belladonna was rightfully furious. "What the hell?!" she snarled, looking in vain for the source of the projectile. "Where- you brought more- where are-?!" she was angrily stumbling over her words in an attempt to make heads or tails of the situation. Her and her men looked around in all directions with their weapons held close.

" _Right here, dumbass."_

The decidedly unenthused voice came from a figure emerging out of the ground, slicing one of the men's necks with a deep blue katar!

Morana was as confused as she was relieved. She hardly had a chance to get a good look at the brown-haired man who appeared from seemingly nowhere before the sniper revealed himself – a very feminine looking male with silken pink hair strode forth, and next to him, a heavily-armored knight brandishing a wide, green blade. She recognized all three the moment she got a good look – The Mudkips guild!

Kindon grabbed the last remaining assassin in a headlock. "He's a slippery one! Kite, where do you wanna shoot him?"

"Wish it could be his balls, but I don't think this bastard has any." echoed his heavy English accent. He opted for the neck once again, loosing a bolt into the struggling body. Kindon laid the limp figure on the ground and dusted his hands.

"My, my, Kite! You haven't changed a bit from our _Halo_ days. Nice shot!" complimented Mantine. "Now could one of you girls explain what the hell this little outfit's all about? We came down here to beat the boss, so you can bet your ass we don't have time for a group of weaklings who have to take hostages because they can't fight for shit."

"Seriously, a little girl?" Kindon chimed. "I'm desensitized to a lot of shit, but how bad do you have to beat this game to resort to _that_?"

Mantine took a closer look at just who his guild was rescuing. "... _Morana_? Jeez, of all the people that need our help, you're the last person I would've thought of. Just what _did_ you get yourself into?"

"It's a long story... hey, I thought you left the Mudkips! What gives?" she asked, vividly replaying the events of the show he put on when they first met.

Mantine smiled. "And leave these two homies all by their lonesome? I wouldn't dare!"

"YOU!" roared Belladonna, pointing her sword at the Mudkips. "Who do you think you are interrupting a big score like this?! I'll- I'll-"

"No, go on." taunted Kindon. "Tell the _three_ of us what the _one_ of you is going to do, lady."

As he said this, Belladonna's men started to come to, weakly forcing themselves to their feet. She looked dumbfounded.

"Let me guess, your next line is, 'What? I thought you killed them!'" Kite teased, reading the look on the woman's face perfectly.

"I- I thought you killed them!" she said, before catching herself with a gasp.

Mantine shook his head. "Mmm-mmm. Numbing poison. Sorta acts like a tranquilizer. Maybe if you'd spent more time learning basic game mechanics and less time fuckin' around, you might know that the hunter and assassin classes both get access to that skill fairly early on."

He stepped toward the purple-haired lady, his walk retaining that same swagger from when he confronted Saffron. "That's good, though! Now they can be awake for my next lesson. My pals are a little tired from having to put you in your place, and I want my turn."

Belladonna grew more furious with each word out of the blue-haired knight's mouth. "Just what are you getting at, boy?!"

"Do I really have to spell it out? When your three goons recover from the poison, I want to fight them. I'll even give them the first shot, knight's honor! Hell, you can join in too if you want!" he said, drawing his forest-green sword.

The player-killer was beyond enraged at this point, seething at the idea that one man would challenge her guild. "The audacity! No one, and I mean no one disrespects Night Shade and lives to tell about it! _Make him suffer!"_

Now fully recovered, the three assassins rushed Mantine down and began a relentless assault with their katars. Each slash and stab dug into the plating of his armor, leaving behind glowing cuts that indicated damage.

...but the knight didn't budge, nor did he make the slightest attempt to retaliate. He stood idle, drew a long breath, and let it out as a sigh. "Have you noticed it yet?"

Kite and Kindon looked on at the display, trying to hide their smiles. One of the reasons they had wanted Mantine to choose the knight class was that they were hoping they could show this off one day.

"I'll take that as a 'no'. Here's another basic game mechanic you should remember. Take a good look at my health bar. Not making much progress in killing me, huh?"

Indeed, the red meter above Mantine's head appeared not to have budged an inch! No, that wasn't it – each hit would indeed chip off a tiny sliver... but it was refilling itself completely after every few attacks!

"Let me elucidate you. I'm about four levels higher than your friends here. Normally, that wouldn't make a huge difference, but that's the beauty of the knight class. We have the most health and defense out of any class, and we're just _full_ of other surprises. My regenerative abilities, combined with the set effect of my armor, give me back more health than I know what to do with, and the armor itself is so strong that each of your attacks won't do enough to matter, even with your impressive attack speeds. Long story short, you could stand here and strike me all day, and you'd sooner break your own weapons than do anything to me. I'm basically-"

"Mantine!" yelled Kite, interrupting his friend's long-winded boast. "Cut it out, wouldja?"

Kindon agreed wholeheartedly. "Yeah, quit playing with your food! I'm dying of boredom over here..."

The three men ceased their futile attacks. They all gave off frustrated grumbles, trying to think of a way to turn the situation back in their favor. One of them eyed Jin up, but Mantine and the others caught on quick.

"Don't try it..." he warned, but one of them made a desperate sprint toward the girl!

"...weapon...CRASHER!" roared Mantine, swinging his sword in a heavy, wide arc! In a flash, all three assassins' weapons clattered onto the ground; he'd disarmed them! "Give up. You really don't want to see what happens when we fight back. Indeed, Kite had his crossbow trained on Belladonna and her men, and Kindon was ready to sink back into the shadows at a moment's notice. Morana too was prepared to fight, her staff set aglow with power.

Still absolutely fuming, Belladonna took a long look at Mantine, noting the color of his hair and armor. "No way... it's inconceivable! You?! A mere child is the Azure Knight I keep hearing about?!"

Mantine rolled his eyes, accompanied by a chorus of exasperated sighs from his guildmates. "A few things, lady." he began in an annoyed tone. "One, the 'kid' stuff has gotta stop. I'm turning eighteen this year, dammit!"

"Someone's defensive." Kindin remarked slyly, snickering to himself.

"...Anyways... For that matter, how old are _you?_ I know it's rude to ask a woman her age, but seriously, you talk like a cartoon villain. I wasn't gonna say anything at first, but holy shit, lady. Drop the act."

The woman in violet crossed her arms. "So, now what? Are you gonna finish us off? Huh, big bad Azure Knight?"

Mantine shook his head. "That's not how I roll. Besides, my character would lose green player status, and I'd like to play this game for real someday, once this whole mess is resolved."

She couldn't help but recoil a little. "You're insane!"

"...you're one to talk. Get lost, wouldja?" he commanded, gesturing away with his hand.

"Figures." scoffed Belladonna. "Can't even finish what you started. What's the matter? Haven't the stones to go through with it?"

"Actually, I have an idea." interjected Morana, stepping toward the two. "Since it was originally your intention to steal from us, how about _you_ give _her_ all your gold?"

She pointed over to Jin, still kneeling on the ground, observing in silence.

"He-eyyy! I like the way this girl thinks!" complimented Mantine.

Morana opened a trade window. "Consider it compensation for traumatizing her." her tone grew colder.

"Most of it was probably stolen, anyway!" added Kindon. "Who am I kidding, these goons probably didn't earn any of it!"

Begrudgingly, each member of Night Shade forfeited their money over to Morana. One by one, they wordlessly exited the scene with their teleport crystals. All together, it was less than she'd expected, but right now it felt like a million. As the cleric approached Jin to hand her the spoils, the Mudkips all introduced themselves to her. Now that she'd calmed down, it was as good a time as any to catch up.

"It's a good thing we decided to get off our asses and hunt for the boss down here. We heard people talking, and then somebody screamed!" explained Mantine.

Kite nodded. "We could tell somethin' was dodgy... then we heard what that bitch was sayin', and, well, no choice but to fight. I'm just glad we saw them before they saw us!"

"I'm tellin' you guys," said Kindon, patting Kite on the back, "even in a video game, he's got the eyes of a cat!"

As they laughed, Mantine noticed the item Jin was holding. "Speaking of animals... I'm guessing you aim to revive your pet, eh? Those assholes wasted more time than they were worth, but if we book it, we should be able to take down the boss. Looks like they led us straight to it." he said, pointing to the crackling portal.

Kite loaded his crossbow. "Then what are we standin' around for?! Let's waste the good doctor!"

"I'm down for that... but you really think the three of us could do it? The last time we fought a boss, we had that whole big group... musta been like two dozen of us!" Mantine said, replaying the events of the encounter with Hookah in his head.

He felt Kite's hand on his shoulder, and looked over to see a determined smile. "That was ages ago! We're stronger than two... three dozen now!"

"Yeah, Mantine." chimed Kindon. "We've got this!"

"Let me come along!" they jumped slightly and turned around to see Morana preparing a buff spell. "I've seen the way you guys fight. It gets shit done, but you're reckless. With my healing, you might just be able to get away with such an am-... er, unique playstyle." she said, winking.

"You've done more than enough... don't you need to stay behind and guard Jin while we're gone?" Mantine and the others were understandably worried.

"I'm not scared! Let me come in too... I know the five of us can do it!" Jin protested, standing up and readying her crossbow.

The others all shot her unsure looks. "Are you sure? We can wait til you-" asked Morana before the girl protested further.

"Plenty sure! Just keep the enemy off of me and I'll peg his ugly head!" she proclaimed, giving a thumbs-up. "I'm fighting for Tocino, so I can't lose!"

After the final preparations were made, the five brave warriors all entered the portal with their resolves stronger than ever. On the other side was a laboratory, thoroughly wrecked and ransacked, with all sorts of cliché set pieces; cracked test tubes, tesla coils and nodes emitting sparks in erratic patterns, syringes scattered about, and animals suspended in some unknown liquid in tubes, which Mantine compared to "that one really weird level in _Kirby."_

Hunched over the work bench was a middle-aged man in a labcoat and rubber boots, with goggles that were far too tight around his head, which sported balding black hair and a scraggly mustache and beard. With erratic, jerky movements, he turned around to face the group and began to panic. He frantically searched around the desk until he found one of the syringes, fumbling with it a bit before he was able to tie off his arm with a belt and inject it! Within seconds, his clothes began to rip as his body swelled into a mass of rippling muscle! Complete with dark green skin, Doctor Farrell had hulked out! He ripped a tank of green liquid from the wall and attached it to his back, then came charging at the heroes!

The battle that ensued was as much of a test of skill as it was one of patience! The crazed doctor thrashed about the room, picking up anything he could find to throw at his aggressors! Mantine and Kindon spent most of the fight drawing his attention and delivering fierce melee combos – and Kindon found out the hard way that this boss was immune to the numbing poison! Farrell hit hard with those flailing fists, relegating Morana to full healing duties, keeping Mantine and Kindon alive through the onslaught!

Jin took notes from Kite, and the two pelted away with their crossbows until his back was riddled with bolts all over! They learned early on that to do any real damage, they'd have to destroy the fluid tank on his back, and this is where patience played a part; he'd rip another tank from the wall, and they weren't targetable until fully attached. Regardless, after enough shattered glass and holes in the walls, the mad doctor was felled at last! Just as they had hoped, his body, dissolving from the liquid, left behind a large crimson gem.

Ecstatic, Jin sprinted toward the reward, and after a bit of fiddling with the menu, was indeed able to use it with the remains of her pig, bringing it back to life! Joyful tears streamed down her face as she held the small pink creature close. "Oh, Tocino! I missed you, oh, how I missed you! Let's get strong together so I don't have to worry about you again!"

The others let her have her moment, looking on with smiles at the adorable sight. Jin, and the thieves who accosted her, were clear examples of opposite sides of the spectrum of kindness.

Hearing what she said about getting stronger, Kite offered Jin, as well as Morana, to join the Mudkips. While Jin gleefully accepted the offer, Morana politely declined, insisting that she didn't want to commit to a guild right now and had things to do on her own. With the rest of the spoils from the boss in tow, the players returned topside, turned in their quests, and immediately set off to find their next objective, whatever it might be.

* * *

Today, the Mudkips guild was instilled with the feeling that they could accomplish anything. What the Guardian Force had in number, they lacked in coordination and fostering player relationships, and as more people began to understand that, they became easier to recruit. Even better, Mantine himself had finally caught up to his friends in level, and was readier than ever to liberate Dragon Saga Online with his guildmates. For now, it seemed that nothing could stop them, but what were the chances that any of them were fully prepared for what the future held...?

Keep fighting for our liberation, Mudkips guild! ~


	4. 4 - Kite

**Author's notes:** _ **And now for something a little different. This chapter is the first major divergence from the original SAO story, to give this fic a dash of my own flavor. The events of this chapter are largely based on something that happened to me when I was playing Dragon Saga back in 2010 that I think would make for a good addition to the story. This chapter does have elements from Kuradeel's episode of SAO, however, so there's still some familiar territory here. Hope you enjoy.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 4 – Kite**

* * *

 **20** th of February, 2022

 **Mantine's Log**

 **[Mantine]**

 **[Knight]**

 **[Lv. 30]**

They ask me, 'how goes it?'. I tell them, 'it goes'. Just like we figured, the defeat of Ferrell has instilled hope among the game's survivors. We even managed to take down Hookah's better half, Captain Alvida. What, am I supposed to be surprised? Just who the hell do you think we are? ...Okay, I totally stole that one. But seriously, the Mudkips are here to get shit done, y'know? I'm startin' to think we're a little too good at this, and we'll be given some kinda peace prize when we get back to the real world. Still, gotta block that thought out if we aim to push forward.

Anyways, our last two victories are why I was chosen to take on the next major boss. Yeah, that's right, your boy Mantine is moving up in the world. Poppa might be proud of me if he didn't find these games utterly stupid. Turns out, the next boss was right here in Port of the Winds! No one knew what the hell to do with the town's water altar, but a new prompt appeared after we took down the other two bosses. It even spoke to us... but there's a catch – the entire dungeon, boss included, has to be taken on solo. Those chumps from the Guardian Force were a no-show, so everyone else forced, er, nominated me.

The minimum requirement to get in was level 27, but I've taken the liberty of grinding to 30, just in case things go south.

For the sake of our survival, I pray that they don't.

* * *

 **Port of the Winds**

The sea breeze caressed over the Port, making the striped awnings and decorative banners billow softly. Mantine leaned against the wall near the item stall, psyching himself up for the task ahead. He was so deep in thought, that the feeling of Kite's hand on his shoulder made him gasp and leap high into the air. "Wh- huh?! K-Kite!"

"Easy, mate. What's on your mind?" he asked in a comforting tone.

Mantine scoffed. "You know damn good and well what's on my mind, Kite. I'm gonna do it, I just-"

The English man tried his best to ease his friend's tension. "Look, man. You'll do fine in there. We wouldn't have chosen you if we thought otherwise!"

"No, I believe you." said the knight, easing up a bit. "I don't wanna get toasted, that's all. Just gimme a moment to get my thoughts in order. I'm waitin' on Kindon and the others to bring me those supplies I asked about anyway."

Minutes passed as the two stood in silence, their thoughts drifting away with the pleasant music the Port offered. Suddenly, Kite felt the urge to speak up. "Mantine... you ever thought about disbanding the Mudkips? Maybe joining the GF one of these days?"

Mantine seemed to hesitate, trying to muster his thoughts into a reply. "Hmm... Nice of you to ask, but..." he began, as his face jolted from stoic to ecstatic, "...No way, brother! The Mudkips are gonna see this whole ordeal through to the end, and that's a fact! Nothing could ever hope to topple us, you feel me?!"

Kite nodded with his characteristic warm smile. "I hear you. Very well, just a thought. I'm going out to grind for a bit. Carry on with your... preparations." the man chuckled, leaving Mantine to his meditation.

The Texan teen sunk back into his thoughts, floating back into his own world for what felt like forever, when another familiar voice shocked him back into reality.

"Mantine, don't fall asleep on us again! I'll never stop teasing you about those eggs otherwise!" Kindon said with a laugh, referring to the incident last year, where the two agreed to pull an all-nighter gaming together. It was initially going well, only for Mantine to end up passing out with his face in a bowl of eggs.

"You'd keep bringing it up even if I didn't, don't lie." he said dismissively. "Anyway, dude... what's the skinny on this quest? And where's that stuff you promised to bring me?"

"Here, happy?" grumbled Kindon, trading Mantine a stack of creme-filled cakes, a powerful health restorative.

The blue-haired knight's eyes lit up. "Aww shit, son! Twinkies!" he cheered, likening the treats to a real-world snack. "Thanks, bro. I'm admittedly still a little nervous, but-"

"Oh, come on!" said Kindon reassuringly. "Don't you want that sexy Aquatic Sword?! Think of how cool you'll look with it!"

"Yeah, I... wait a minute!" shouted Mantine in a moment of clarity. "How'd you and Kite get your Aquatic weapons if this is a solo quest?!"

"...Preorder bonus." said the assassin plainly.

"They still do those? Anyway, how do I get it? Surely it's not as simple as defeating a boss."

Kindon knew his friend wouldn't like the answer. "You'd be right. You gotta kill monsters in the temple and collect the aqua drops they, uhh, drop."

Mantine gave an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes. "Hhhhhow many...?"

"How many Pokémon are there in Gen 2?" he said with a sheepish smile.

"Lessee... two-fifty-one?" he did his best to recall.

Kindon scoffed. "Celebi doesn't count. Us yanks got cheated out of that event, so screw him!"

Mantine's posture visibly sunk. "Still... 250? Damn."

"Yup. So I'd get cracking if I were you." Kindon motioned over to the Altar. Nodding, Mantine cracked his neck and strode over to the ivory fountain at the end of the cobblestone path. "Hey, Mantine?" Kindon called over, noticing his friend's staggered gait. "...I have faith in you, remember that."

Mantine looked over his shoulder, smiled, and flashed a hearty thumbs-up. As he approached the effigy, shrouded in mist, nearly everyone he'd met ingame crowded around it to see him off. Kindon, Kite, Morana, Jin, Saffron, Chocolate, and the rest of the recruited Mudkips all gave encouraging cheers... as Mantine entered, they faded to the sounds of rushing water, and a low rumble echoing from deep within the dungeon...

* * *

 **Water Temple**

Perhaps as a method of suppressing his fears, Mantine rolled his eyes as he saw the dungeon's name fade onto his HUD. "Seriously? They couldn't have come up with something more original than ripping off Zelda? I'm gonna have a word with the dev team when this is all over..."

He put his thoughts on pause long enough to take in the scenery; blended shades of blue faded into purples and greens, lit up through the temple's stained glass windows... but it didn't take long to notice the long, soaked terra cotta hallway was teeming with monsters. Ancient golems, vicious sewer gators, and grotesque fishmen all shuffled about in their predetermined paths.

The Azure Knight dashed forth, wasting no time mowing down the worthless piles of EXP and snagging each water droplet their bodies yielded. The only saving grace was that, with each defeated monster, another would spawn in its place. True to MMO fashion, it was more of a tedious grind than a genuine challenge. Even in groups, the monsters posed little threat to Mantine's excellent defense. After all, they only existed to slow him down, and he knew this fact all too well.

Making perilous leaps over chasms of rushing water and timing his dashes to pass under the staggered waterfalls, Mantine pressed on through the temple, sword set aglow as he cut down golems and crocs all the while. Even with the enhanced athletic abilities provided to him by the game, it took all of his reflexes to land the tight jumps and avoid being washed away by the current. Before he knew it, however, his minimap indicated he'd reached the deepest part of the dungeon, with an imposing double-door towering over him. By this point, he'd collected more than enough droplets; two-fifty-one just to spite Kindon; and kicked down the door with all the force he could muster.

The Port's hidden boss wasted little time with introductions; a hulking reptilian beast with rippling scales of navy and teal emerged from the pool within, vaporizing the water from the pool it rested in! Two serrated blades materialized in its rock-sized fists as its name faded onscreen.

 _ **Endairon – Horror from the Deep**_

The beast loosed a deafening roar, snapping its mighty jaws and enwreathing its body in a vortex of water! The bellowing summoned four crocodile warriors at its side! Steeling himself for the battle, Mantine stepped forth with his blooming shield raised!

"You're a water-type too, huh? I guess this'll be decided by skill alone. Let's dance!" the knight roared right back at his adversary, activating his Weapon Crasher skill as he dashed in midair! Endairon met Mantine's blade with one of his own; this boss wouldn't be disarmed so easily! It grimaced at Mantine with gleaming, emerald eyes and pushed him back to the ground! He took a perilous tumble, losing a third of his health from the impact!

 _No good... I'm too used to being part of a coordinated group! We had a small army for Hookah... hell, we were five men strong when we took on Farrell! I've got no one to draw aggro... no healer... no nothing! Think, Mantine!_

Endairon and the four crocodiles closed in on him! He leapt backwards and swung with all his might in the widest arc he could muster! The boss' henchmen had fallen in a single stroke, and even the mighty water spirit had taken a good lick from the slash!

"First off, I'm really sick of these adds showing up in every damn boss chamber! Don't you dare ruin my first solo run!" shouted the Azure Knight, blocking Endairon's flurry of counterattacks.

Pinned by the assault of the dual blades, Mantine started intently at the letter "F" on his HUD! _That new Sword Skill... Kindon was beggin' me to learn it all month, but I never got a chance to use it in a real battle yet... Now, while he's open... I trust you, Kindon!_

"It's all or nothing!" Mantine held his sword in front of him! Just as the massive Endairon was readying another attack, the green blade began to glow once more! "Knight's Holy Lance!"

With these words, Mantine's blade began to warp, changing shape into a long, serrated spear! The transformed weapon moved on its own, skewering Endairon right through the chest! Mantine pulled the spear out viciously, and stabbed it right back into the aquatic beast several more times, shredding the beast's health to nothing! The thrusts were unnaturally fast, pulverizing the boss like a jackhammer until it yielded, bursting into a dazzling gleam of pixels! Mantine had done it after all!

His sword returned to its natural form, and he smirked as he sheathed it in stylishly. "No one's here to hear me say it, but... to hell with it. 'I guess sewer gators really were just a myth!'"

All the rushing water in the temple came to a complete stop, leaving only silence behind. In the room's center, a gleaming portal of light opened, allowing Mantine back into the Port. He collected the modest loot Endairon left behind, and entered, smugly awaiting the praise he was sure to receive on the other side.

* * *

...and praise did he receive indeed. Mudkips and Guardian Force members alike greeted him with cheers, warm smiles, and hugs all around. Even that old, skeptical Saffron gave him a firm handshake. What were the odds that the next boss was hiding right under their noses in the Port, after all?

Mantine didn't spend too much time basking in his adoring crowd, rushing toward the town's blacksmith to have his Aquatic Sword forged. It even came out with favorable Soul Craft effects, and he used his leftover enchant dust to upgrade it four times. At last, he could fight at the same strength as Kindon and Kite!

The rest of the month went along rather favorably, and continued as such well into March! The Mudkips had continued down the slow road to prosperity. The Port's treacherous outskirts had been fully explored, and the Mudkips even managed to defeat the mad Captain Kalygon, who commanded his namesake Kalygon fleet!

The three founding members of the Mudkips, however, had grown a bit distant since the journey began. Not to say they harbored any ill will toward one another, moreso that their need to remain apart limited their contact. The three had all opted to scour the world for undiscovered bosses and treasure, each leading a small contingency of their guildmates to cover more ground. Mantine had noticed, however, that Kite had become more cold and aloof over the course of the month, but never really found a good time to bring it up, nor a good reason, as they had a job to do.

However, locating the next boss proved difficult, even with the combined efforts of all the courageous players still trapped within the death game, and so...

* * *

 **March 16th, 2022**

"The four of us are to move out tonight, on my signal." Kite announced to Mantine, Kindon, and Morana.

Until now, the Mudkips and the Guardian Force still held a shred of animosity toward one another. Mantine's victory at the Water Temple, and the subsequent defeat of Kalygon, had fostered the seeds of an alliance between the two. For now at least, they had come to the agreement to put aside their differences, as they were working toward the same goal anyhow.

Mantine, however, was too fixated on Morana's robes to pay Kite any mind. They had taken on hues of yellow and white, the flagship colors of the Guardian Force. "Wh- Morana?! YOU joined the Guardian Force too? Seriously?!" he said in sheer disbelief, complete with exaggerated hand motions. "After all that beggin' I did to try to get you into the Mudkips, too! 'Ooh, I'm not interested in a guild right noooow'!"

The crimson-haired cleric smiled sheepishly. "I mean, yeah... that's what I believed back then... but these guys offered some crazy-good benefits aaaaand... well, I realized I just wasn't cut out for solo play! Jeez, Mantine, why do you take this stuff personally?"

 _'Cuz... we saw you first._ Mantine opted to keep his thoughts to himself.

"Mmm? You look as if you're just dying to say something." she noticed the look on his face.

The knight crossed his arms. "Nothin'. Anyways, Kite, where're we headed? I'm thinkin' it's about time we said adios to the beach, eh?"

"You'd be right." Kite answered. "Our scouts reported another safe zone further in the Continent of Wind. However, it'll require passing through Jigsaw Pincers Coast. As of now, no one's gotten 'round to exploring the place all the way, so that's where we come in. A big storm just rolled in over the Coast, and I've played enough games like this to know... that means somethin' big's about to go down there. We're almost sure the next major boss is gonna show up!"

"A boss coming to us?" Kindon wondered aloud. "I've never seen it before, but... whatever you say, Kite. I mean, if it's a common thing in other games... but we haven't seen it before in this one... does that mean it's playing by the rules, or it isn't?"

"Don't overthink it." said Mantine, patting his friend on the back.

"Either way..." Kite continued. "We figured it'd be better to have this expedition be a joint venture. Since Mantine's already acquainted with Morana, I thought we might as well bring her along as the Guardian Force representative. Saffron and Chocolate said they were busy, so can we count on you?"

She laughed awkwardly, a smile peeking through her hooded face. "Heh... you know it, honey."

Mantine appeared flustered for a moment, but snapped back into stoicism before the others noticed. "Then what the hell are we waiting for? Let's get a move on! I dunno about you guys, but I wanna be one step closer to getting outta this mess!"

"I hear that." said Kite, giving the signal to move out. The four players formed a party, and left Port of the Winds, marching toward the gathering storm.

* * *

 **Jigsaw Pincers Coast**

The moonlit beach was nothing short of gorgeous, but for our heroes, this was no time to sightsee. From where they stood, they could see shadows, outlines of the shark pirates dancing around crude bonfires along the coast. No doubt the stragglers of Hookah's crew, they'd gathered along the beach with a gaggle of starfish demons, waiting to ambush anyone curious enough to seek another safe zone. The horizon was dominated by a colossal kraken, waving its tentacles about in the sky. Its features were hard to make out under the night sky, but it appeared to pose no threat. Either it didn't notice the travelers in the darkness, or had simply opted to remain docile.

"I wonder if that thing's the boss... how're we gonna fight it?" Kindon asked, pointing toward the towering squid.

Kite appeared deep in thought. "We don't know for sure. It could reach us easily from here, and yet... it's not doing a damn thing. In any case, let's clear this place out before getting any closer."

As far as standard enemies went, these pirates were surely the most resilient they'd faced thus far. Perhaps the game wanted to reflect that these sharks were the battle-hardened veterans of Hookah's old crew, now willing to risk it all to avenge their fallen captain. Even with their combined strength, the four were scraping tooth and nail against the horde of pirates! Morana's mana was spread thin healing the Mudkips, and their attention could only be divided so much! Through tight coordination, strategic use of sword skills, and the teamwork that had gotten them this far, they eventually managed to silence the shoreline.

Unfortunately, the battle had done a number on their health. With Morana's mana still recharging, they'd have to look toward quicker, more practical methods of recovery. Luckily for them, Kite had just the thing.

"Here, take a few of these." said the pink-haired archer, tossing the other three some cake slices and wine. "Not only will they get you back in shape, they're right lush!"

Mantine smiled warmly at his leader. "Y'know, none of us are really old enough to drink... so this is kinda awesome! You really know how to spoil us, Kite."

He poured them all a cup of the crimson liquid and toasted. "To the liberation of Dragon Saga!"

The young knight eagerly took a swig, but cringed as he gulped down the wine, not used to the taste. Back home, he could barely even handle the beer his grandfather liked, so the stuff was a bit on the strong side.

As a matter of fact, it just might have been too strong... because...

 _Just then..._

Mantine collapsed to the ground, finding himself completely unable to move a muscle! He was paralyzed! Indeed, his HUD indicated a status condition he'd never seen before! Morana had quickly befell the same fate after a mere sip, nearly choking on the concoction!

Even his jaw struggled to move! "K-Kite... I think somethin's wrong... those pirates musta had a coating on their weapons... pass me one of those healing crystals, wouldja?"

Kite remained straight-faced. He sauntered over to his friend's collapsed body, gingerly flipping him onto his back and meeting his eyes. "Now, then... that takes care of that. One less loose end." he said coldly.

Panic began to set into Mantine's mind. "Wh-what are you sayin', bro? If this is another one of your jokes, y'know, like the ones you used to pull on me in Halo, well... it's a good one! Seriously, just pass me a crystal and-"

"No." he said, plain as day. "Let me tell it to ya bluntly, man. I'm... We're disbanding the Mudkips and joining the Guardian Force for good."

Mantine grimaced. "Hey, what?! I told you before, I wasn't down for that! Don't I have any say in-"

Kite's tone grew angered. "No, Mantine, you don't. Honestly, man, this guild is kinda shit. We've hardly grown in numbers compared to the GF, and I don't see us goin' anywhere. C'mon! These guys'll get us famous in the game, a-and... on YouTube and everything after this whole thing is over! Really, I only spiked your wine because I didn't want you doing anything stupid, honestly!" His voice began to crack as his eyes dilated visibly. "A-and Morana too, since she might try and heal y-you... so.. what d'ya say? You in or out?!"

Mantine's face sunk. "...not cool, man. I told you a thousand times, and I'll tell you again, I wanna see this guild through! If this is how it's gonna be, just let me lead the damn thing...!"

Kite scoffed at the proposal. "Hah, you? After all your foolhardiness?! Y'know, I didn't have the guts to say it before, but nearly everything you've done since we got into this mess was out of line!"

"That 'foolhardiness' was what allowed us to survive this long, ya moron! If you didn't like it, you coulda told me to tone it down!"

Kite's brow furrowed intensely. "'Tone it down', huh? What about that little stunt you pulled after we beat Hookah?! You made a complete arse of yourself and... for what?!"

Mantine's anger matched Kite's, reaching a fever pitch. "Idiot, I was takin' the heat off of you and Kindon...! Right, bro?"

Kindon had been speechless through the whole ordeal, visibly worried for both of his friends. "I mean, I... damn..." he couldn't muster a proper response, fearing he might meet a similar fate to Mantine. "W-we didn't really do much with the guild anyway, so..."

The Azure Knight glared at his ally. "Y-you knew what he was up to?!"

Kindon shut his eyes and winced, unable to look his friend in the eye.

"Rrgh... t-think you know someone, right...?" he said through gritted teeth. "I just never thought you guys... seriously, I've known you two a whole year!"

Before her body had fully locked up, Morana used the last of her strength to slide Mantine an antidote crystal, but Kite caught it with his boot, crushing it to dust underfoot. "Now, like I was saying... at the end of the day, the Guardian Force is where someone of my caliber belongs. Shame, I really thought the same of you until now... but it can't be helped." he said, stooping over, leaning close to Mantine's ear.

Mantine slowly became more enraged. "S-selfish little... whatever, go join your big popular guild and get big on YouTube. I don't have time for these theatrics. Tell you what, friend. Just give me enough gold to re-form the Mudkips under my name. I'll do everything myself, like I always do anyway."

Kite shook his head at the man. "You know, it's not just your foolhardiness. I never liked half the things you did, or said. ...Never knew when to keep your mouth shut, when to listen to anyone besides yourself... Mantine, you'll get no gold from me." he snarled, giving Mantine a cold glare.

"Cheapskate! You know damn good and well you have more than enough to spare, and I'm barely scrapin' by! Dammit, Kite! You give me that gold right now, or I swear I'll-"

Kite stepped on Mantine's palm, digging his heel in. "Or you'll what? If you haven't noticed, you're not in any position to make threats. I've got more than a few levels on you... and in just a moment, more than enough friends to back me up."

As if appearing on his cue, a towering warship sailed its way to the coast, dropping anchor near the beach. The ship was nearly overflowing with GF members cheering Kite on, telling him to finish Mantine off then and there.

Kite held his hand up, signaling them to silence their jeering. "Looks like my ride's here, Mantine. I guess this is goodbye. Don't worry; I won't kill you here and now. I'm just going to have one of my new guildmates give you something to think about while your paralysis wears off."

One of the players on the ship heard him, and leapt off. He was unlike any player Mantine had ever encountered. Tall, hulking, and covered head-to-toe in white-gold armor. Even his visage was obscured by a full-face helm, a very unusual sight in Dragon Saga. Without a word, the mysterious man picked up Mantine's Aquatic Blade, and dug it clean through his back, pinning him to the ground like a butterfly.

The helpless knight screeched in anguish, watching his lifebar drain to critical levels through fading vision. "W-wow, Kite..." he managed to croak out through the agony. "I'm fl-flattered... you'd risk red status all for little ol' m-me..."

"Hmph." Kite turned away, stepping onto the ship without so much as looking back. The armor-clad man disappeared in a cloud of smoke, reappearing on the ship's deck.

As his former guild leader strode away, Mantine could no longer hold his feelings back. "K-KITE! KITE, YOU SON OF A BITCH, I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU, I'LL KILL YOU, I'LL KILL YOU, I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU, I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOUUUU!" he roared with all his fervor through the drenching rainfall as the warship sailed over the horizon.

His cries faded into a labored scream until he finally blacked out, his health bar clinging by a mere pixel. As the deluge began to pour over him, Mantine came to terms with the fact that he'd been left to die.

* * *

...and yet, the Azure Knight lived. Eventually, the paralysis did wear off, and the gruelingly slow auto-regeneration took effect while he slept. When morning finally came, he summoned the strength to remove the sword and free himself. By the time he awakened, the storm had subsided, and Morana was gone.

For the next few days, he opted to retreat to Port of the Winds to recover and ultimately, try to press on. The following night, he returned to Jigsaw Pincers Coast, following a tip from the local information broker.

As it turned out, the info he dropped his coin on was good, and a hidden thief NPC was discovered behind a rock formation near the coast. He introduced himself as Jess, tossing a bag of money up and down as he spoke. He told Mantine of a fearsome holy knight named Artis, who guarded untold treasure and blocked the path to the Sky Sanctuary, the next major zone.

"Yeah, I'll take the job. I'll get it done somehow..." he told the thief with a sigh. Staring out onto the starlit ocean, Mantine was almost too immersed in the thief's tale to notice a hand on his shoulder. He flinched a bit and turned around, meeting the face of a weary-eyed Kindon. "Hey, man..."

"...Kindon? I'll bite, what do you want?" he said, too defeated to be angry at the man.

Kindon's mouth contorted a bit, trying to form the right words to pacify his old friend. "Look, I don't know what to say... I don't know what I _can_ say that'll make you hate me less. So I'll just have to do my best. ...I'm sorry. I apologize on the behalf of both me, and Kite... no matter how he feels. Really. If it were me, I would've totally listened to you, but... this is how he's always been, y'know?"

"Can't say I disagree." Mantine said dryly.

"...Anyways, I know nothing could ever really fix this, but I'll do my part to help as long as I live. Here." he said, opening up a trade window. "This one comes from my heart."

– **TRADE -**

– **Shield of Holy Light –  
– Albatross Helm (Special) – **

…

– **Cape of Faith (Special) –**

– **ACCEPTED –**

"Looks like some good stuff." said Mantine, meeting his friend with a soft smile. "The cape of faith... it even..." his eyes welled up, choking back tears. "I-it even looks like the r-real Mantine's fins, huh bro?" he noted its blue and gray design, reminding him of his namesake character. Of happier times.

Kindon couldn't help but get misty-eyed himself. "...Yeah. It's because I have faith in you, Mantine. Isn't that awesome?"

"...it is." the knight said, sniffling. "I can't use most of it just yet, but... That's so cool... Thanks, Kindon."

Kindon still couldn't bare to look his friend in the eye. "I would've told you what Kite was planning if I... if he hadn't had me by the balls like that. If I said anything, he might have done even worse to me."

"No, I understand. In your situation, I would've done the same damn thing."

The two shared a comforting hug, and bumped fists. The brown-haired assassin parted ways with the knight, pacing along the starlit beach as he regrettably returned to his new guild. Mantine looked back, staring at the footprints Kindon left until they faded away and he was no longer visible.

I'm so sorry that this is how it had to end, brave Mudkips Guild. ~

* * *

 **Spring 2022  
Mantine's Log**

 _...that was the last time I ever saw Kindon._

At the thief's behest, I trudged my way to the next safe zone, Moonlight Shore Village. The trek wasn't far from where the incident happened. It wasn't as grandiose as the Port, but it provided most of what I needed, and the shops even sold new items for mid-leveled players like myself. The music was some of the most beautiful I'd never heard, and was one of the few things that consoled my mood. Out of sheer pride, I did re-instate the Mudkips guild, but it was ultimately hubris. Not a single player joined, and re-forming the guild cost me a fourth of my gold reserves. At the time, I wasn't high-leveled enough to access any consistent money-grinding locations. I had earned some decent gear from my last few raids with the Mudkips when they took me into that volcano... but after a while, they stopped selling. Many players became paranoid, hoarding their gold for all but the most optimal of gear sets.

My tenure as a solo player was predictably short-lived. Sky Sanctuary was easy enough to reach, lying on the outskirts of Moonlight Shore. Fighting my way to Artis was a struggle, and even when I gave it my all, the corporeal knight bested me, again and again. I used up most of my teleport crystals just escaping death at the edge of his blade. My victory against Endairon was a fluke; the game had taken on one hell of a difficulty spike in this new zone, and Artis was my brick wall.

To make matters worse, my repeated failed attempts did a number on my gear and supplies. Repairs and re-ups wore down my money, and before I knew it, I didn't even have enough left over for basic things like that. The reserve I'd built up had nearly ran dry...

...and that, I felt, was the heavens themselves telling me to resign from my duties... and so I did. I no longer had the will to fight on the front lines, my resolve shattered beyond repair. With no other choice, I relegated myself to the Moonlight Shore Inn, a place of warmth and comfort where I'd live out the rest of my days. If this is how Kite and the Guardian Force wanted things to be, then so be it.

Let them do all the work. Clearly, I'm no longer needed.

...and indeed, Mantine did resolve to live out his days in the moonlit village, returning to a semblance of normal life and blocking out the old memories. Over the next three months, he'd settled into this daily routine, until...

* * *

" _Whoa, holy shit! A-are you... yeah, you're Mantine, the Azure Knight! Never thought I'd meet a legend like you in person, GHAHAHAHAHA! What th... the hell're you doin' hangin' around here for?!"_


	5. 5 - Red, Blue, and Green

**Chapter 5 – The Unbreakable Resolve of Red, Blue, and Green**

 **16th of June, 2022**

 **Mantine's Log**

Well, damn. And just when I'd finally began to settle down and forget all that mess, too.

Three months had passed since I was betrayed at the Jigsaw Pincers Coast by my former friend, Kite. Do I really have to tell you what happened next? The ever-growing Guardian Force dispatched their best players to the three sanctuaries outside of Moonlight Shore Village. With little effort, they demolished Artis, as well as the Lord of Night, and the great mole Ahtoo in the Dangerous Caverns. From what I heard, they did manage to reach the Fell Witch Paris, but the barrier blocking the entrance to her tower was impenetrable. Not a single one of them could figure out how to get past... guess their smarts don't match up to their strength. As I was about to find out, they had yet to discover the next boss... how can you be so oblivious? If I hadn't given up, I could've told you where he was. It's kinda embarrassing...

Still, I had no real desire to leave here until...

* * *

"GHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, man! Don't tell me it's really you, 'Azure Knight'! To think I'd see a legend like you in person... wow! What the hell're you doing here?! I mean, the inn's kinda nice... but I wanna go home!"

Mantine looked at the man, clad head-to-toe in striking verdant armor, like he'd seen an alien. His helm rested on a nearby table, allowing full view of his brown hair, short and spiked with generous anime flair. His most striking feature, however, were his rows of razor-sharp teeth! He must've went all-out in character creation. From the looks of it, he was a Knight just like Mantine, and only a few levels below him. He met the man's eyes for a moment before gazing down dejectedly.

"Huh. Now there's a name I ain't heard in a whole minute. Sorry to disappoint you, man. I don't do that knight stuff anymore. Fate told me I had no role in the liberation of this game and its people... so fuck it. Why don't you ask the awesome, badass Guardian Force to free us?" he said, hoping the stranger would leave him to his routine. "Who are you, anyways?"

"Whooo, boy, this place is great!" he said, raising a beer glass and ignoring half of what Mantine just said. "If he weren't tryna kill us, I'd totally shake the game dev's hand for making the immersion this realistic! I asked that bar lady for the strong shit, and I'm already feelin' it! I can get drunk without any repercussions! Fuck yeah!"

Mantine sighed. "That's... great, man. What brings you here anyway? You won't leave me alone, so I might as well get something out of the encounter. Really, you seem strong enough..."

"My name... my name is Rance!" he said, planting his gilded sword into the floor with one hand and pointing to his chest with the other. "An adventurer who seeks the truth, and the ultimate harem!"

Mantine did a double take. "Wait..." The man recalled a memory of something he was admittedly ashamed to know about. "Rance... Rance?! Seriously, you named your character after the guy from all those H games?"

"Of course! My hyper weapon will... will...!" he said, swishing his sword through the air.

"Then why aren't you out on the front lines?" wondered the blue-haired teen.

Rance scratched the back of his head. "Well... I mean, I... I'm no good at this game by myself! There, doesn't it feel good to admit that?! Yeah, you think really highly of me now, huh?!"

"Points for honesty." said Mantine flatly. "You really went all-out with the character, huh?"

"Damn straight! I love games like this, but I don't love 'em enough to be trapped and all that. …So yeah! I'm here to tell you, Azure Knight, that you're really worth something!" Rance jubilantly pointed at Mantine.

He raised an eyebrow, sure at this point that the man was a few fries short of a Happy Meal.

"Somebody of your caliber doesn't belong on the sidelines like this! Your victories inspired me – inspired all of us to keep going! Seriously, you took on the Water Temple all by yourself! And you beat Hookah, and Farrell, and-"

Rance's words echoed in Mantine's head for a moment. _Someone of my caliber...?_ He shook his head fervently. "I got lucky, that's all. Soon as I got here, I tried to take on Artis, and-"

"Oh, that fuckboy?! Nah, forget him. The designers made him totally unbalanced! The GF had to over-level by like, seven just to beat him in a group! So you look here and listen, Mantine the Azure Knight! I'mma tell you this right now, while these fuckin' drinks are in me... I love you, man!"

Mantine was taken aback and very confused. "Dude... what? I think you've had one too many dranks..."

"Maybe, but I'm totally serious! Y'know, Mantine, they say drunken words are sober thoughts. Just lemme be your friend, at least!" begged Rance.

He looked away from the green-armored knight. "Friends? I don't have any of those anymore. Look, it's getting late. I'm gonna head to bed. I'm sorry you had to see your supposed hero like this, but... just try to forget it, okay?"

Rance gave a defeated look. He slumped over dramatically, watching Mantine ascend the stairs. "Grrr... okay, then... just try to put some thought into what I said, then! Sleep on it, literally!"

Mantine retired to his bed and bundled up in the blankets. What he even meant by 'getting late' was nebulous, it was eternally night in Moonlight Shore Village, hence the name. In any case, it didn't take him long to drift off to slumber, just as his body was back in the real world. Dreams of his past adventures with the Mudkips danced in his mind, minutes turned to hours, and he slept peacefully, until...

* * *

"Rise and shine, Mantine! It's Rance Super King with the wake-up call, fam! Get up now, or I'll take all your gold!"

Naturally, Mantine was jolted awake, tangling himself in the covers. "Mmmh... go... go on somewhere, man... I'm goin' back to sleep..." he mumbled.

"No time for that! Today, I'm bringin' you outta retirement, even if I gotta drag you myself! Who the hell are those GF goons to think they can hog all the glory! We both had trouble playin' the game solo, so with the two of us... well, we're not solo anymore, right?"

Mantine writhed and lazily shook his head, firm on his decision from yesterday. "I told you, I'm done with that life. Go join the GF or something if you wanna-"

"Uh-uh-uh, Azure Knight! Wrong answer!" Rance roared with all the might of his voice, "MANTIIIINE! LET'S SEE YA GRIT THOSE TEEEETH!" the green knight summoned his strength into his fist, belting Mantine square in the jaw!

Though the inn was a safezone, he still felt the full force of the blow, tumbling back until the wall stopped him; the impact was strong enough to display the building's 'immortal object' popup. "...bro?" he looked up at Rance, acknowledging the reference he'd just made.

 _For a moment, a smile briefly found its way onto the Azure Knight's face, brought on by a warmth he had not felt in a very long time._

"I appreciate the gesture, but... where would we even begin?" he asked, dusting himself off.

Rance could hardly contain himself behind his elated grin. "Aww, yeah! So that means you'll do it?! I can make anybody feel good, I tell you! It's a new day, so let's attack it! C'mon! Let's just head out into the village for now. I'm gonna show you that this world ain't half as bad as it looks!"

"I dunno..." he said, still unsure of himself.

Rance produced a frothy mug of hazy golden liquid. "I got your breakfast right here! Don't worry, this one's on me, so drink up! This'll give you what you need, I promise!"

Mantine accepted the strange man's offer, taking a whiff of the brew before downing it. It was indeed delicious, nothing like the watery commercial beer he'd had small sips of back home. It didn't elevate him quite to Rance's state, but he felt good enough for a stroll around the village to see if he had any reason left to fight.

With his new acquaintance not far behind, Mantine toured the place thoroughly. He passed the graveyard, with mist and will-o-wisps floating just above the ground, and the grand monument in the middle of town; a massive bell with several fountains of water flowing out. He nearly got lost in the Village's serene, simple beauty until he crossed the bridge with the best view of the monument and spotted a familiar figure.

He crept closer, trying to confirm it was who he thought it was without them noticing. The wavy red locks were a dead giveaway – it was none other than Morana! With little choice left, and knowing he'd never hear the end of it from Rance if he backed out, Mantine approached his old friend and sat down on the bench next to her.

"Uhh... hey, Morana. Long time no see." was all he could think to say.

The red-haired woman looked up at him, genuinely surprised. "Never thought I'd see you again. What's up?"

The two spent a long time catching up, recounting the events of Kite's betrayal. Both of their tones notably lacked much emotion, both of them still feeling rather broken over what happened. Morana lamented that she couldn't have helped Mantine more during the conflict. After a while, the conversation steered toward more recent events.

"So why aren't you out there fighting with the GF?" Mantine inquired.

Morana looked away. "Shouldn't that be obvious? I had no intention to stay with those degenerates after what I saw. They had me fooled, but I'd rather take my chances alone than support that kind of crap. I left the first chance I got. Bastards would probably still be looking for me if they weren't focused on clearing the game."

Mantine smirked. "Mmm. Nice to see some people still have a sense of self-respect."

Morana produced an item from her pouch – some sort of biscuit, and began to eat it. She cringed visibly after just one bite, tasting its unpleasant dryness.

"It's no good, huh?" asked Mantine, noticing her reaction. "Lemme fix that for you, here."

He took the biscuit from the confused cleric, and rummaged for the item he needed.

"Mantine, what are you doing? ...I didn't come here to eat good food." she said coldly.

"Check this out. I've been outta the game so long that I actually had time to hone my non-combat skills in the inn." he held up a curved, green vegetable.

Morana looked intrigued. "Jalapeno?"

"This is how we used to make 'em back in Texas. Somebody posted the recipe on the inn's notice board, and I perfected it. Have a taste." he combined the two items to make something new, and handed it back to Morana.

She hesitantly took a bite, immediately tasting the robust heat. Mantine could tell by the look on her face without so much as a word from her stuffed mouth. "Wow, it's... not half-bad!"

The two dined on the spicy treats for a moment, until a third voice suddenly burst into the gathering. "See, I told'ja! You two knew each other already, huh? If I'm being honest, y'all look really cute together! You ever thought about being a couple?! It's got all sorts of awesome stat bonuses in this game, really! I ship it!"

Morana looked up at the man with food still in her mouth. She swallowed and asked, "Who's this guy, then?"

"I'm Rance, you see?! I'm this guy's new hype man! B-but I'm a lot more than that, too! I'm puttin' on a show, and this is just the first act! For right now, I'm the guy who's gonna bring The Azure Knight outta retirement!" he gleefully announced, shaking Morana's hand.

"Who the heck names themselves after an H-game?" she said, giggling.

Rance huffed at her. "Like you're any better, knowing about it too! Those games weren't _that_ popular, were they...?"

Though the wound Kite laid into him had finally felt as though it was healing, Mantine was still not entirely sure of himself. "This guy's somethin' else. I just ran into him yesterday, and he's over here beggin' me to fight on the front lines again. Seriously, Morana, after what you saw that day-"

"...he's not the only one." Morana interjected, making the knight flinch on the spot.

"How'dya mean?"

"Mantine... how do I put this?" she put one finger on her chin. "From that day that you parted with me after we defeated Hookah. I didn't want to admit it back then, but that move you made was so... bold. It was in that moment that I realized the game could never be cleared without you... without you being involved somehow. What I'm saying is, there's so much left for you to do, so get off your ass and fight!"

Rance rested a hand on the Azure Knight's shoulder. "See? It's not just me, fam. I bet a lot of people miss you! C'mon, isn't it boring just loafing around the inn all day? If you're tryin' to send a message to the GF, send it with your sword!"

 _It was then that the warmth Mantine had felt a few hours prior grew into the vestige of embers._

Mantine closed his eyes and smiled. "Man... you two, huh? You're lucky I like you, y'know? I suppose... let's give this comeback thing a try. If only... to rub it in that rat bastard Kite's face." he said, thinking back to a moment between them. "Y'all do realize... that if we meet again under any circumstance, we're sworn enemies, right? Even after what he did... what I said... I can't bring myself to take another life. I'll get back at him, all right, but I'll be creative about my method."

Rance appeared more stoked than ever. "I knew we'd get through to the big man! Let's liberate these fine people, and show the GF we don't fuck around while we're at it!"

"It's a good thing you're still the one calling the shots." chimed Morana. "I'd shove my staff right up his traitorous ass... and twist. For the record, people like him absolutely disgust me. Please don't ever turn out like that... Mantine." she punctuated her sentence with a wink and a smile, prompting the man to blush.

 _So cute! So cute I can't stand it!_ Rance wished he could say.

"Alright, so you got me. Question is, what's our first step? Three players is kinda puny, even compared to the Mudkips... and the GF kinda dwarfs us." asked Mantine.

"Isn't it obvious? We'll form a whole new guild! Better than either one of those, even! Way better! Not only that, but this time, to avoid any mishaps... we're appointing you leader, Azure Knight." said Rance, pointing to the blue-haired player's chest.

Morana flashed a thumbs-up. "No objections there. Let's start from scratch, and do things our way."

Mantine put his fingers on his chin, appearing deep in thought. "Easy enough, but what're we gonna call this new guild? I don't wanna use Mudkips again. This'll be our own thing. A representation of our heart and soul."

The three deliberated for a moment, mulling over their own ideas. Morana was the first to speak up. "Hey... what route was Mantine – I mean, the actual Pokémon found back in the old games?"

"Lessee..." Rance did his best to recall. "I'm still pretty drunk, but... 40, I think! Yeah, 40!"

It was actually 41, but they agreed on the number anyway.

"Well, seeing as how the two of you are knights... and we do have a sense of honor among us either way... how does 'Knight 40' sound?" suggested the cleric with bright eyes.

Mantine and Rance gave each other deep, intense looks that slowly faded into wide grins. "Then let's do it!" they roared in unison.

Mantine couldn't open the guild menu fast enough. The three took their time scrolling through guild emblems until the found one they liked – a gray cross tombstone surrounded by olive branches with a misty foreground. On the final screen, the gold fee appeared.

"Here, I know you're kinda low on funds. Ten from me!" Rance said, tossing him some gold.

Morana followed suit. "Our new leader needs all the cash he can get... until we get rich, that is."

With the tap of one last screen, a new era was ushered into the world of Dragon Saga – Knight 40 was officially instated, under the leadership of the Azure Knight himself, Mantine!

"...and don't worry about guild colors this time." Mantine said with a faint smile. "Our symbol is enough. Wear whatever lets you makes you who you are."

"Loud and clear!" Rance said, pumping his fist. "In honor of my namesake hero, it's all green for me!"

"Tch... why you'd idolize such a character... you worry me already." Morana flicked at her interface until her robes turned a scarlet hue. "I've always really loved red... I'm gonna paint my room like this when I get back!"

Mantine flipped his hair, and fastened his helm on. "In that case, you know me. Blue ocean, blue skies!"

Indeed, we all put our faith in you, Knight 40! Go! Go out and do what the Mudkips, and even the Guardian Force cannot! Your story did not end here, rather a new one began at this very moment! For the liberation of Dragon Saga, we believe in Knight 40!

The three shared a group hug, basking in their first moment of triumph since the old days. However, for Knight 40, it was already time to rise!

"'Kay, that takes care of the guild. My question is, where the heck is that next boss everyone's been talking about?" asked Morana.

Mantine rolled his eyes. "I coulda figured that out forever ago." his response made their jaws slightly agape. "C'mon."

He lead the two over to the graveyard as mist crept around them. Before he could show them what he meant, the gravekeeper NPC called out to them. "Another group, huh? I bet you think you've figured this place all out, huh...?"

All three gave the black-hooded character a confused look.

"You won't beat a real dragon in your current state. Only the Knight of Knights can enter here, by order of me, Larell!"

Rance scowled at him. "Just who does he think he is... we're not good enough? Mantine, quick! What's the meanest dialogue options I can give this guy?!"

Mantine chuckled. "Say whatever's on your mind, Rance. Most of these NPCs' data was cloned directly from the brains of people in the dev team. It's awesome, huh? They can do just about anything but fight for us, ain't that a bitch?"

Rance pointed at Larell. "Alright, edgelord. Whadda we got to do, then? Answer quickly!"

"Aren't you something?" he said dismissively. "if you're so brave, then... go to the Dangerous Caverns west of this village."

"That place?" asked Morana. "What's the point? The GF already killed Ahtoo, I saw it."

Larell shook his head at the group. "And yet, he lives. To truly exterminate that troublesome mole, you'll have to take the reverse route. If you think you're up to the task, I happen to have the last ticket."

"I don't buy it!" Rance protested. "Like Morana said, somebody from the GF had to have checked you out at one point and... uhh..."

Larell smirked at them. "I'm giving it to you because... you asked nicely. ...and because those guys totally ignored me, but that's besides the point. Here, just take it!"

Mantine snatched the black scroll of paper imprinted with a skull from the hooded man's hand. "I'm nobody to turn down a free gift. So we just use this item when we get to the boss portal?"

"Now you're starting to get it, good for you." he condescended. "Just watch yourselves. The reverse path is a lot tougher than normal. I mean it."

Heeding the Graveguard's warning, the trio stocked up on supplies, and departed Moonlight Shore for the bluntly-named Dangerous Caverns.

"You guys do know we only have one shot at this, right?" asked Mantine, looking Rance and Morana in the eyes. "If I burn through my items like I did back at Artis, we'll all be tapped out."

They all peered up toward the gleaming cavern walls, embedded with gorgeous jewels and crystals. Small streams of water striped the stones, echoing throughout as they poured. Clearly a former mining operation, the place did look beautiful despite what lurked within. Scurrying about the cave were – what else – giant moles. Their jagged claws tore into the ground like drills. Among them were gaunt, rabid raccoons scouring the ground for a meal. Reaching the boss portal would be a considerable climb, but they had one saving grace – running past these enemies would be fairly simple, and they wouldn't have to waste valuable resources.

Strangely, all the enemies seemed to be drawn to one location – a small outcropping just short of the boss portal. It didn't take long for their target to cry out more than loud enough for Knight 40 to hear!

"Scheisse! Why here, now?! Come on, recharge! I'll summon something to toast you all, do you hear me?! Don't come any closer!"

The voice had a thick German accent, and as the horde of moles converged on its source, bright purple orbs shot out in bursts, gunning them down one by one!

Acting quickly, Knight 40 rushed to the top level of the caverns, carving through everything in their paths! Luckily, the enemies seemed so focused on this other player that they made little effort to fight back. With the incredible leaping ability the game provided them, it didn't take them long to reach the distressed player and clear the remaining moles... but they were all a bit surprised by what they saw.

A tall, slender woman bearing long, purple hair with wavy bangs... but what struck them as odd was her skin. It was a light violet hue, covered in runic tattoos. Even her dense hair could not hide her distinctly pointed ears, either.

Of course, a seasoned enough player would know that you could choose to play as the near-human race known as Dragonkin, and that was exactly what they were looking at. They were rare to encounter, largely because their playstyle, as well as their entire skillset, was very complex and unwieldy. Word on the street was that this class was intended for advanced players only, and reserved for secondary accounts of people who'd already progressed far as a human.

"No way!" Rance exclaimed. "Who the hell plays as Dragonkin?"

The tall woman planted her weapon, an Aquatic Gunstaff, into the ground. "Only the really good players, obviously."

"Clearly, given how y'handled that situation..." Mantine teased.

She puffed her cheeks a bit. "Hey, now! I'm... still getting the hang of the Summoner class. I can call in some seriously badass monsters to help me, you see?"

"Whoa! Now you've got my attention, lady!" said Rance. "What's your name?"

"Call me Yuuki. I just thought it sounded cute, don't you?" she introduced herself.

Mantine nodded. "Digging the anime flair."

"Unless my ears deceive me, you're from Germany, right?" Morana noted. "I've always wanted to visit there."

"Yes, well-" began Yuuki, only to be drowned out by Rance's shouting.

"Enough small talk, the recruitment drive starts here! Hey, Yuuki! How would you love to be an honorary member of the newest and most badass guild, Knight 40?! If our whole guild consists of gorgeous women like you, my dream harem is well on its way to completion! So are you in, or are you in?!"

Yuuki was completely speechless and gave a discomforting look.

Mantine extended a guild invitation. "Ignore my friend's, err, strong words. We'd really love to have you, though. I noticed you're not with the GF, and we're kinda trying to compete with them a little. A rare class like yours would be a strong asset, dont'cha think?"

She hesitated for a moment before relenting, tapping 'accept'. The gray emblem appeared above her head. "This is all so sudden, but... to be honest, I was never much of a fan of the GF. Just, I did not like the way they handled things. I only joined this game to play with my boyfriend, and I have yet to run into him. After all this mess happened, I assume the worst... I just want this to be over now."

Mantine shook her hand. "Lucky for you, we just happened to have started a business in getting things over with. Are you cool with taking on the area dungeon right now? We could double back if you-"

"No, no..." Yuuki firmly shook her head. "Really, I'm wondering why you three are here? Didn't the GF already clear this area's boss?"

"I'm tired of having to explain this, so listen good, lady. The hooded dude down at the graveyard gave us a ticket to the reverse path! Apparently we gotta take it if we wanna kill this boss for real. Somethin' like that." Rance was visibly annoyed.

"Sorry, I didn't know..." she said dejectedly.

Mantine wagged a finger at Rance. "Careful, man! You're gonna scare her off!" he turned his attention to Yuuki. "Anyways, now that you're partied up with us, we can head into the portal. The NPC was really goin' on about how much harder this version of the dungeon was gonna be, so stay on guard! I, for one, can't wait to see your class' abilities in action!"

Mantine initiated the dungeon instance, and turned in the ticket Larell had given them. The next thing they knew, Knight 40 found themselves within the depths of the mole's tunnels... and each and every color had been inverted! Indeed, the entire dungeon had been reversed! The objective pointed them left instead of right, and even the music and text displayed backwards!

The four descended deeper into the caverns, their usual dark walls displaying near-white. For the first few minutes, they were met with little resistance, and took the time to get to know each other. Yuuki began to discuss her love of anime, which lead to her and Mantine getting into a short, heated debate over whether _Zeta_ or _G Gundam_ was the better series, with Rance diffusing the argument on the grounds that both series are great because they have so many hot waifus, prompting a laugh from Morana. Their conversation did well to pass the time, and they'd reached the boss portal before they knew it... but they also knew it couldn't be that easy – light tremors through the cave jolted Knight 40 on their toes, and they all drew their weapons!

Emerging from the soil were four Razor Moles, just as threatening in this strange, new color scheme! They hissed at the intruders before burrowing back beneath the ground, surely in an attempt to attack!

"All right, this is my chance now!" shouted Yuuki as she took a deep breath and planted her gunstaff into the ground. "Let me prove that you did not recruit me for nothing! Now wait until my mark!"

Mantine, Morana, and Rance all did as she asked. The rumbling got closer and louder until...

"... _JUMP!"_

The moles' golden claws fell inches short of the players as they leapt in unison! A blinding light emitted from Yuuki's gunstaff, causing something else to emerge out of the ground! "Here's my first example!"

The creature she'd managed to summon was indeed fearsome; it took the form of a giant demon's head, scowling in shades of blood as the many horns on its back curled and twisted like serpents! The apparition lunged at the mole that had targeted Yuuki, tearing it in half with a single bite!

The remaining three moles retreated underground! It was likely their AI pathing, but the others wanted to believe they experienced fear. The demon's head snarled, and three of its gnarled horns extended in the blink of an eye until they pierced the ground! Within a fraction of a second, it retracted the horns from the earth, revealing three thoroughly skewered moles! They faded into light fragments, awarding the group some EXP. With its task complete, Yuuki recalled the demon's head to conserve mana.

The other three were, naturally, left in amazement. "Dude..." was all that managed to escape Morana's lips.

Rance grinned with pure elation. "Badass! Yeah, that's it, I'm totally maining that class when all this is over!"

Mantine nodded approvingly. "We really lucked out on our first recruit, eh? I guess I still know how to pick 'em. In any case, is everyone ready? Eat up, and get all your buffs set to go. I'm willing to bet Ahtoo's got more of those moles waiting with him. As far as the boss itself, it's likely just an enhanced version of the original. More HP and damage output, maybe a new move in the mix. Don't let him get under you. Rance, you and I should both use our Storm Blade Burst when he's airborne."

"You got it, fam! There's another new skill I've been wanting to try too. Try not to get too turned on when you see it!" said Rance proudly.

"Jeez, Mantine." Morana scoffed. "You sound so professional all of a sudden. The GF is the last thing I wanna be reminded of, you know?"

Mantine gritted his teeth for a moment. "I see your point. As for you, though... just try to keep us alive. Wouldn't mind seeing a few of those meteors of yours either, though!"

"Aren't we demanding?" she said with a sly smile. "I'll keep things under control for you, then. Just watch your back."

Knight 40 collectively held their breath as they entered the boss portal. On the other side, their footsteps produced hard echoes – the floor was solid rock! To the unassuming player, it might strike them as odd that the room appeared empty, but this was what the four heroes had come to expect by this point.

"You can come out now." said Mantine, growing impatient with the boss' age-old trick.

 _Thump_

From deep below came a light rumble, creating a trickle of dust from the cave's ceiling.

 _THUMP_

Next was a heavy quake, loosening several rocks from the natural walls.

 _TH-CRACKKKKK!_

Exploding from the solid stone strata was a hulking, gargantuan mole, its unkempt shaggy fur in shades of sickly green and bright blue. Its eyes made the starved wolves from before look tame, their crazed stare only supplemented by the beast's jagged, drooling grin! It loosed a long, raspy snarl as its name displayed on the players' HUDs.

 _ **Ahtoo – Atrocity Unearthed**_

Knight 40 steeled themselves for the rodent's rampage! Just as Mantine had predicted, a whopping eight moles spawned in a circle around Ahtoo, ready to defend him with their lives! Some burrowed like before, while others charged headlong toward the heroes!

Very quickly, the guild's coordination had fallen into disjointed chaos. Yuuki once again summoned her Demon's head, taking out three moles just as before, but two more rushed the summoner and tore the head in two! She charged her gunstaff and shot several bursts at her attackers, stunning them just long enough for Morana to get a quick heal in!

The cleric's mind was in overdrive, doing her best to keep an eye on her team's health as she defended herself from afar with spells of every element!

Rance put his tanking abilities to use, drawing the rest of the moles toward him and slashing away at their hides! These were indeed stronger than their normal counterparts, as all but the strongest assaults merely chipped away at their health!

Meanwhile, Mantine took it upon himself to engage Ahtoo head-on! He spent the first minute of the fight purely on the defensive, narrowly evading the beast's vicious digs, stomps, and tackles! He'd yet to swing his blade once!

"You sly fox!" Rance quipped, picking up on what his new friend was up to. "You're learning his patterns, aren't you? That's our leader!"

Mantine cracked a smile mid-leap as stone shards flung from the great mole's claw. "Don't give me too much credit. It's just that-" he took a hard dive left, evading a headbutt, "-we only got one shot at this, y'know?!"

"Oh, I know!" affirmed Rance. "That's why I gotta show this off now!" The green knight's golden blade alighted with a fiery glow as two moles closed in on him! "STABBING RANCE ATTACK!" Of course, this was not the attack's real name, rather a sword skill that even Mantine hadn't learned yet. It manifested as a flurry of stabs, shredding the vermins' health to nothing!

The other three were visibly impressed. "I like it... but don't you dare outshine me, Rance!" shouted Yuuki, once again planting her staff into the ground to summon a familiar. "I suppose the only way for these moles to learn their place is to show them how much better a summoner can do!"

Rising from the glowing circle around her staff was a pair of moles identical to the ones they were fighting! Their colors matched Yuuki's, with purple skin and streaks of white fur! At her command, they locked claws with Ahtoo's followers, and after a short struggle, overpowered them, piercing their chest with their metallic white claws!

Ahtoo himself found that all of his attacks fell increasingly wider, and Mantine was able to score a cheap hit or two, punishing each miss with better timing on every swipe! Slowly but surely, Mantine had gained complete control of the battle. _I'm back! I'm back for real this time! The Guardian Force ain't got shit on us! Now let's wrap this up... rage on, rage on, rage on!_

The Azure Knight had whittled Ahtoo down to a little under half of its health bar... and as if reading his mind, the subterranean beast had entered its enraged state, engulfing its body in a bright aura and turning beet-red! A warning flashed across all of Knight 40's HUDs, as Ahtoo let loose a roar that shook the cave enough to nearly make them lose their footing!

"This doesn't matter!" Mantine assured his team. "We've got him on the ropes, so give it your all!"

Morana found herself with a moment of breathing room, now that the others were fully healed. She held her staff high, combining her spells! "Let's get it over with! Freezing... Meteor Crush!"

A rugged ball of rock and ice careened from above and struck the raging beast, but...

...it was unfazed. Its health bar had indeed decreased, but the monster did not so much as flinch! All at once, Knight 40 found themselves filled with a deep sense of dread. They steeled themselves for the worst.

With all the rage of its fallen brethren, Ahtoo charged at the group! They quickly split off in different directions, but the fearsome boss retaliated by calling forth another pack of razor moles from below! They engaged Morana and Yuuki head-on, leaving Mantine and Rance to deal with Ahtoo!

"Don't panic, Rance! It's just the same pattern! Might be a little faster, but there's no way he can manage the both of us!" assured Mantine, trying to suppress his friend's fears while hiding his own. Both knights charged the hulking mole, charging their swords... but their advances were simultaneously ground to a halt! Ahtoo's reflexes had heightened, as he was able to stop one knight in each claw, grabbing them like toys! He viciously dragged the heroes against the stone floor, his gleaming claws spinning like a pair of drills! Ahtoo ended the assault by flinging them into the walls hard enough to shatter entire chunks of stone loose!

Rance recovered, the attack only fueling his anger! "Nobody cheaps me out like that! I'll handle him for ya, Mantine!" once again, he charged at the mole with all the speed his legs could muster!

"Not by yourself, ya won't!" Mantine screamed, readying his own sword as he sprinted toward Ahtoo!

"Knight's Holy Lance!"

"STABBING RANCE ATT-"

Ahtoo effortlessly swatted them both away before either attack landed, spinning his body around as though he were walking on air! This time, Rance impacted the stone wall hard enough to leave a gaping hole!

Morana and Yuuki were powerless to help, still overwhelmed by the enraged moles that demanded their attention!

Mantine dug his sword into the rocks, forcing himself to his feet. "Buddy, you didn't let me finish." his blade transformed into a lance just as it had during the battle with Endairon. "I said KNIGHT'S HOLY LANCE!" The jagged spear dug into Ahtoo, shaving off even more of its health despite how unfazed it appeared!

Ahtoo growled, and retaliated by charging up energy of his own, and striking his claws into the ground! A violent quake ensued, sending a shockwave of stones directly to Mantine! The attack brought him to half health, and knocked him flat on his back!

His rage reaching a fever pitch, Ahtoo stomped toward Mantine and began viciously digging his claws through the layers of blue armor. Each attack reset his hitstun, and took a generous chunk of his health! His armor slowly depleted along with it! Yuuki and Morana made desperate attempts to come to his aid, only to be halted by the spawning of more moles! Rance remained stunned, giving it his all just to rise to his feet!

Stuck without recourse, Mantine could only watch as his health slowly depleted. Each vicious strike deepened the red tint around his HUD, further obscuring his vision. Ahtoo backed up for a moment, then curled his body into a ball! Spikes of steel emerged from his back, and he became a rampaging wheel of destruction barreling straight for Mantine! This was like Artis all over again, and this time, there would be no teleport crystal to save him.

 _I lost again, huh? ...I guess I was right to think I had no role in our liberation. Goddamn it, I hate being right... If I'd just stayed in that inn... if I hadn't listened to these guys, at least there'd be a chance that..._

As much as he didn't want to, he gritted his teeth and shut his eyes, waiting for the end.

Then, through fading vision... he saw... _Rance?!_

" _...how dare you... HOW DARE YOU INTERRUPT MY... STABBING RANCE ATTAAAAAAACK!"_

 _through ringing ears, he witnessed the green knight soar across the battlefield directly at Ahtoo!_

Mantine's eyes jerked away from his sliver of health to see Rance bowl the mole over with his body! As it crashed to the ground, Rance flashed a thumbs-up! "Can't let you do that, Mantine! Otherwise, I'd be hyping you up for nothing! Now let's dance, Ahtoo! Do you really think I'm gonna let our fun end here?!"

Just then, he felt a warming sensation as a comforting glow blanketed his body. "Don't you dare even think about it, Mantine! We've got a long way to go, you hear me?! So you'd bet your ass you're gonna stay alive!" Morana had cast her strongest healing spell... but how?!

"Leave the fodder to me, everyone! No better time to prove myself as a Knight!" Yuuki yelled, directing her own moles into the enemies that remained. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but... everyone, stay clear!"

The Dragonkin waved her staff at her familiars, prompting them to give off a bright glow! Gathering energy, they rushed into the remaining group of minions, and in a blinding flash, self-destructed their bodies to clear them out for good! The moles were reduced to ash, and the resulting falling boulders violently crushed the stragglers!

Reinvigorated thanks to Morana, Mantine rose back to his feet. The sight of the stunned Ahtoo gave him one last idea. "That spell from a minute ago... you got enough mana to use it again?" He asked.

"Just enough!" Morana summoned another frozen meteor, and Mantine leapt on top of it! "This is it! Launch me, Morana!"

The cleric targeted Ahtoo's head! "You got it, honey!" With Mantine in tow, the meteor roared through the air as the knight held his sword out, clinging for dear life with his boots dug in! The knight screamed until his throat was sore, and try as he might, Ahtoo could not recover in time to evade the devastating attack, finding himself completely ran through!

At last, Ahtoo had been bested! He exploded into a shower of light, displaying victory on Knight 40's HUDs!

"Oh, hell yeah!" Rance quite literally jumped for joy, basking in the light of the great mole's destruction. "You see that?! That right there is the power of Knight 40, and Rance Super King! How's it taste?! Did you see that, Yuuki?! Your clones were all like, KABOOM, and then Morana launched Mantine at the big guy and he was all like CRASHHHH! And let's not forget my STABBING-"

Yuuki patted the harem knight on the back and grinned. "It was... so much fun fighting with you! Now... now I am sure we can get back to the real world!" The summoner high-fived Rance and laughed.

As they celebrated, Morana realized the impact had damaged Mantine as well, and rushed to his side. He slumped against the cavern's wall, meeting the scarlet-haired girl's gaze. "...You okay?" she asked with a modest smile.

"...I can't believe you went for that. The impact coulda killed me, and we woulda done that all in vain." he said through his own smile.

Morana shook her head. "Shoulda, coulda, woulda. We won, isn't that what matters? Besides, that was your idea."

He nodded firmly. "It is, and... that was so cool! Promise me we'll do it again?!"

"Mhm. So tell me, is that faith of yours restored? Was coming out of retirement worth it?" she asked.

Her words reminded him that the battle had given him just enough XP to level up, and that he could use his new equipment now.

 **Equipped [[Cape of Faith +4]]**

"Y'know..." said Mantine softly, "I wasn't entirely sure until just now. I want to see us grow. Rance, Yuuki, but most of all... oh, screw it. I'm no good with subtlety. You're such a badass, Morana! I feel like... like I have to do even more things to make you happy. Someone like you deserves my best. I... think I might love you."

Morana visibly blushed.

"...a-and your legs look really nice in that outfit, I mean it!"

Her expression reddened even more, and she covered her mouth for a moment.

"...silly boy." she said as she removed her hood, embracing Mantine warmly. He met the gesture, wrapping his arms around her as they shared a passionate kiss.

Rance looked on at the scene with uncontainable elation. _Aww, hell yeah son! I knew it would all be worth it just to see this! It's so friggin' adorable! I've still got the magic! Count your blessings, Mantine, because this one's all yours... but the rest? They're all gonna be part of my harem! Best believe that!_

Yuuki observed them as well, flashing a warm smile as she approached the exit portal, bringing Knight 40 back to Moonlight Shore Village.

 **Mantine's Log**

 **17th of June, 2022**

 _It was on that day that I had my greatest realization yet. The realization that I had something... someone else to fight for... and she was a damn good reason, if I do say so myself. Morana, thank you. Thank you for helping me understand how much more there is to all this. I know we still have a world's worth of work ahead of us, but... right now, if I'm being honest, I couldn't be happier. Don't you worry, everyone. I'll get you all out of this mess, and I'll live to tell the tale to boot. This I solemnly swear._

 _And Kite, I'm coming for you._


	6. 6 - At Summer's End

**Author's notes:** _ **All right, now we can finally get back on track with some of the original SAO's most iconic story beats. I hope everyone enjoyed the previous chapter, even though it was mostly original ideas. With the Knight 40 guild firmly establishing itself in the Mudkips' stead, it's time to learn more about our new players, and get to clearing some bosses.**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 6 – "At Summer's End"**_

* * *

 **18th of June, 2022**

 **Moonlight Shore Village**

 **[[Mantine]]**

 **[Knight]]**

 **[[Lv. 38]]**

 **Mantine's log:** Huh... Never thought I'd be writing these so close together. This game really put me through the ringer over the last few months, and for the first time in a long time, things are looking up. It's times like these when I'm a firm believer in what I was often told as a child: Life is like a bow and arrow – it can only pull you back so far before you fly forward. After the intense battle back in Dangerous Caverns, we took a few days to cool off and plan our next course of action. The four of us seemed to fit right in with each other, and the girls took up residence in Moonlight Inn with Rance and I. Despite knowing them for a much shorter time, I feel more at home with these three than I did with Kindon and Kite, if I'm being honest. Still, we had to bring our good news back to the graveyard, and Larell was likely getting impatient with us...

Knight 40 all relaxed in their room in the inn, finally getting around to dividing up the loot from the previous battle. Mantine didn't keep much for himself, having earned the right to wear the treasures Kindon had imparted upon him. The night before, Mantine and Morana had officially became a couple, sealing the deal with the ingame couple request. This put a heart next to their player names, and allowed them to share part of their inventory with each other. Rance and Yuuki, especially the former, showered them with congratulations. Morana and Mantine were eager to get to know the new guys, and so, they asked them a little about themselves. After all, they must've been some interesting people if they were willing to take up a sword in Mantine's honor.

* * *

"...anyway, my boyfriend would not shut up about this game. He said it was going to eclipse all the major IPs and take the world by storm... If he only knew..."

Yuuki was in the middle of divulging more about herself at the request of the others. "...by the way, how did you enjoy my jalapeno biscuit recipe? I am a natural, no?"

Mantine and Morana looked a little surprised. "Whuh? That was you?" asked the Azure Knight. "It tastes just like the ones back home! I tweaked it a little with my cooking skill during my, er, retirement, but I would've never known where to start without your notice board post!"

"Hee-hee!" Yuuki giggled. "I know my Tex-Mex cuisine, cowboy. I was studying to be a chef back in the real world, you know?"

Mantine nodded. "Respect to that! What got you caught up in this mess, anyhow?"

"Part of the reason I joined, if I am being honest, was to outplay him on every level. See, I am really good at games like this... it is the whole reason I chose an advanced class like Summoner. Even in our current situation, I cannot help but aspire to be the strongest player."

"Now there's a motive I can get behind." Rance said, before muttering under his breath, " _wish you'd shut up about this boyfriend business..."_

"Hmm."

"Nothin'. Go on?"

"Right... so yeah, he cannot have gotten too far. With your help, I should be able to find him... if he still lives..."

Suddenly, Rance regretted his snide remark. "Wh... what are you sayin', Yuuki? Of course he's still kickin'! He sounds like a total badass to me!"

Morana shot her a warm smile, trying to brighten their moods. "So... what all are you into? We hardly got to know each other in the midst of all that fighting!"

"Heh... I'm what you Americans might call a 'weeb'!" she said, chuckling. "If you couldn't tell by my name. All those dubs I watched back in the day... helped me learn English! _Jojo... G Gundam... Black Butler..."_

Morana's eyes lit up. "Oooooooooh, Black Butler! Don't even get me started. Sebastian is such a dream... my husbando!" she gushed, prompting Mantine and Rance to shoot each other looks and sigh with exasperation.

"Oh, I cannot forget _Akame ga Kill!_ "

"Now we're talkin'!" Rance beamed.

Mantine looked at the brown-haired man with a wide grin, high-fiving him and linking arms. "Yeah, yeah! AgK is where it's at, man!"

Rance's smile widened. "It had all the top-tier girls... who could forget Leone... Najenda... Akame herself... but the best of them all was..."

Mantine met Rance's smile with a bigger one. "...without a doubt..."

Their voices joined in a chorus of all the elation two teenage boys could muster, _**"...ESDEATH!"**_

Beyond excited that their choice for best girl was one in the same, they danced together in blissful joy, forgetting where they were for just a moment. Morana and Yuuki rolled their eyes and shot each other looks of 'really?' before glaring at the men.

"What?" said Rance defensively, in between bites of his sandwich. "It's a great show... it's just nice to have a little somethin-somethin' for the, uhh, audience every now and then!"

"Intriguing..." said Morana, nodding. "Now we've really gotta know more about you, huh?"

Yuuki flashed him a sly smile. "Yes, enough about me... what's the mighty Rance got to offer?"

The green-armored man blushed for a moment before relenting. "Alright, fine! I'll have you know that my dreams extend beyond 2D women and H-games! Once we get outta this mess... I'm gonna join the United States Marines!" he announced proudly, much to the shock of the other three.

"Don't act so surprised. While it's true that I fight for the waifus every day, I'll be more than willing to fight for my country as well! So, Mantine... don't you dare let us down! I wanna meet you all in the real world before I have to head off for training!" he continued, without missing a beat.

"I respect that... I respect that a lot!" said Mantine, smiling at the man. "If that's the case, you can count on me to help you... help all of you get back to the real world. Hell, my grandpa back home was in the Air Force – he'd be glad to know I'm playing with people like you!"

"Yeahhh... see, I kinda flip-flopped on the decision for a while..." Rance continued. "See, I was workin' at this anime shop down south – that's how I heard about this game in the first place. Problem was, I told my parents I was goin' to college at the same time! I even took extra hours at the shop just to make it seem like I was gone long enough for my story to hold up. It was all going good until it came time to do my taxes... then my secret was out! I felt like I completely let my family down, and so, to make it up to them... I promised to enlist next year!"

The other three had mixed feelings over the story, but all agreed that his choice was honorable in the end. Noticing their warm smiles, Rance winced and blushed. "This is gettin' embarrassing! Err, Mantine! We never got to hear all the cool stuff about you! Our leader must have a lot going for him IRL, eh?"

Mantine chuckled to himself a bit. "Way to put me on the spot, Rance! A-anyway, hoo boy, where to begin? Oh, yeah! It's a lofty goal, I know, but I want to get into movie directing! I feel so inspired by the minds of Kevin Smith, Clint Eastwood, George Lucas... Oh, to be in their shoes! ...but right now, I'm just tryin' to get my shit together. The whole reason I was living with grandpa is, well... my mom kinda kicked me out. Back in freshman year, I got sent to juvi..." he said, sinking his head low.

"Theft?" asked Yuuki.

Morana shook her head. "Tell me you weren't caught with weed in the bathroom..."

Rance's eyes lit up. "You're not, uhh... into lolis, are you? Even I have standards!"

Mantine shook his head vigorously. "No, no! Nothing like that. I just... got sick too many times. They called it truancy and hauled my ass off to juvi. That was just the beginning, though. My mom hates anything to do with video games. She got me that new _Gears of War_ for Christmas, but can't stand seeing me play over devoting my entire life to school. To be blunt, I don't think we'll ever see eye to eye. I'd be surprised if she even knew I was stuck in this game."

His colleagues all raised their eyebrows at his anecdote.

"S-still... I'm not gonna let any of that get to me... certainly not now. It's a leader's duty to keep spirits high!"

After sharing their own stories, Mantine and Morana agreed that it was time to head out in search of the next major boss, so they could be one step closer to liberation. Knight 40 departed the inn, gearing up for the next leg of the journey.

"So, Mantine... wanna reveal your genius idea of where the dungeon is?" Rance asked, elbowing the Azure Knight. He remembered how confident Mantine was about its location when they had met.

Morana chimed in quickly. "Yeah... you were hyping that up for a while, eh? So spill the beans!"

"Buncha noobs, I tell ya... follow me!" he said smugly, dashing toward the graveyard at full speed. The other three did their best to catch up, and before they knew it, they were face-to-face with Larell once more.

"Here, Rance." he said, handing the would-be harem king an item. "I know you'll wanna do the honors."

He cracked his razor-sharp grin, holding out the item at the hooded figure. "Aww, yeah, son! Read 'em and weep! We shredded that ol' mole so good, this was all that was left of 'em!"

 **Turned in [[Reverse Mole Hide]]**

The grave warden crossed his arms after accepting the creature's remains. "I'll be damned, you actually surprised me... but any fool hopped up on potions and vigor and swing a sword around. Let's see if you can solve the riddle of this graveyard, to unearth its-"

Mantine sauntered over to one of the more conspicuous looking gravestones and lightly kicked it. The worn cross toppled over with a puff of dust and revealed a passage that lead underground. "There you go." he said flatly.

Larell flinched slightly. "Y-you... how did you-?"

"It's like I've been saying. This stuff is second-nature. I've been eyeing this place up ever since I arrived back in March, and that stone was obviously the way forward. Look at the textures on it – they don't even properly mesh with the floor! It's like... uhh, remember DBZ? Whatever rocks or walls were about to be demolished by an attack would be drawn differently than the rest of the background! Truly, I thought someone of Kite's caliber could figure that one out... then again, he probably thought it beneath him to clear the quests here. Those GF fellas are a bunch of drones." explained the Azure Knight, much to the amazement of the others.

The black-hooded NPC clenched his fists. "W-well... fine! You may enter, but... don't you dare get yourselves killed! I've got more quests to hand out! Way more! Don't ignore me like they did! You're gonna need these to get stronger, you hear?!"

Yuuki flashed the man a peace sign. "Count on us, Larell! Knight 40 is all about surviving!"

 _Dammit, Yuuki... it's hard to rub our victory in this guy's face when you're bein' so cute!_ Thought Rance, grinding his teeth.

With the path made clear, Knight 40 descended further, into the sprawling catacombs that lay right under Moonlight Shore...

 **Underground Graveyeard**

 _One of the first areas not featured in any sort of beta test or prerelease material, the Underground Graveyard was roughly what one would expect – cracked gray stone met spiked, twisted black fences as a layer of ethereal fog blanketed the floor. Skulls embedded in the wall and lit aflame served as a poor man's torch, and more bones littered the long stairway down, some already crushed to bits, others still forming a full skeleton. Luckily for Knight 40, and any other players that might find their way down here, the first room was merely a lobby, and thus a safe room, allowing them to get a decent vantage point before taking on the dungeon proper._

"...Really?" Thought Morana aloud. "The developers, in all their imagination and creativity, couldn't come together to make a horror-themed dungeon without the 'spooky skeletons'?"

Rance snickered. "I mean... skeletons nearly give me a heart attack, personally!"

"I agree!" said Mantine, stifling laughter. "Did you- did you know... that there's a rumor, that we all have skeletons inside our own bodies?"

Rance's sides were dangerously close to being sent into orbit. "Liar! Don't even joke about that kind of thing!"

Morana and Yuuki slugged the boys in unison, groaning with exasperation. The stairs' 'immortal object' popup flashed momentarily. The two were preparing a witty retort, when they heard the sounds of clashing metal downstairs! In a confused panic, Knight 40 rushed to the bottom floor to find the source of the skirmish!

There they were, two men already locked into the heat of battle! Two more leaned against the worn stone wall, fixated on every movement!

"No way!" Mantine shouted, his jaw agape.

Rance pushed his friend aside for a closer look. "Ooh, what's all this, then?! Dammit! Why'd they all have to be guys?"

"Should we step in?" asked Yuuki with a hint of uneasiness.

Morana shook her head. "Hold off on that, Yuuki. They haven't even noticed-"

"YEEEAHHHH! GO IN ON 'EM, BIG GUY!" cheered Rance.

"That's how it's DONE! Don't let 'em keep you locked down!" Mantine joined in.

"...nevermind. Just sit tight..." sighed Morana.

The two combatants seemed to be on equal footing. One was wielding a colossal greatsword, a ghostly blade translucent from hilt to tip, exuding a shadowed aura – it dwarfed even Mantine's sword! The other brandished a pair of long, rigid white claws, far different than the katars he'd seen before. The weapons clanged off of one another with a dazzling display of sparks!

The swordsman boasted a form-fitting set of armor that appeared to be cast in pure gold! Its gleam was swathed in the orange of the tomb's torches! "Give it up, Creme! Your class was never meant for PvP! Can't stunlock me if you can't even get past the reach of my sword, now can you?!" he taunted his opponent, holding his massive blade one-handed out in front of him.

The other man was of the Ninja class. His body was wrapped in leathery white cloth with bright purple accents throughout, and his bandana sported a prominent skull-and-crossbones, giving him a distinct pirate look. "I don't care how strong you are, Chammeng... or how far you've lead us! Today's the day I finally come out on top!" his claws surged with glowing blue energy, a sure sign that he'd activated a sword skill! "Creme Brulee style... Adamant Charge!"

The man barreled toward Chammeng, his claws forming streaks of light with each step! In retaliation, the gilded swordsman stamped his foot, rearing back with his mighty blade! "Uh-uh-uh! I've seen that one before! Too bad, it would've worked on anyone else! Now I'll show you why I keep this group in check! Grizzly... SLASH!" the crimson sword surged with energy, and the image of an enraged bear flashed over his body!

This, however, did nothing to stop the stalwart ninja's advance! "Chammeng, you majestic beast! The thing is.. it's true that you might know everything I'm going to do... but in the end, it won't help, since I, the revered Creme Brulee, know everything you'll do as well! Isn't it strange?!"

"That's what I love about you, man! Always keeping things fresh! Have at it, then!"

Their weapons finally met, metal grinding against metal! Each warrior put on a spectacular display, and it seemed neither one was even close to relenting! Their weapons each found their mark at the perfect moment...

 **[[Players "Chammeng" and "Creme Brulee" have reached 50% health]]  
[[Duel results: DRAW]]  
[[Duel over due to HP limit reached]]**

The two men took a moment to catch their breath, forgetting that this game didn't take one's fatigue into account during battle. Their health bars both returned to full capacity.

"Aww, c'mon!" jeered Rance. "Wayda blue-ball us!"

"Yeah, you totally had him with that last move!" Mantine chimed in, the others unsure of who he was rooting for.

"Hello to you, too." greeted the gold-armored man, slinging his massive blade over his shoulder.

The ninja cracked his knuckles. "And who might these be? You didn't tell me we had new challengers, Cham."

Mantine held his hands up. "It's nothing like that, really! We were just about to take on the dungeon down here. That was a spectacular duel, though! Those reflexes, mmm!" he complimented with a 'baking soda!' gesture, before realizing he hadn't introduced himself. "Oh yeah, I'm Mantine. We're the Knight 40 guild... kinda new, but no less ready to rise to a challenge!"

"Interesting..." said the golden warrior, putting one finger on his chin. The group got a better look at his face. Shaggy, blonde hair peeked out from the edges of his helm, and his eyebrows were decidedly thick, giving him a constant look of fervor. "Another guild fighting on the front lines? That's the first I've heard since... well, I heard what happened to the Mudkips..."

Mantine smiled and shook his head. "Don't worry about them. I'm more interested in your friends over there. I don't see a guild tag above your names, so-"

"Yeah... consider us 'unofficial', I guess. Mr. Mantine, you may refer to us as... Battle Tendency! We're just a bunch of guys who fight each other for fun!"

Rance gasped loud enough to fill the tomb with echoes. "OH MY GOD! Was that a..."

The silk-white ninja stopped him. "You are correct. My, my... your friend here's got some exceptional taste. Care to introduce me?"

Rance held his arms up, making an 'X'. "You can call me Rance, the adventurer who seeks the truth... but don't get any ideas! I'm only here for waifus!"

"Oh, my. No need to get defensive..." he mused, running his finger over the back of one of his claws. "I'm Creme Brulee, as you might've heard." he said, voice as alluring, smooth, and flamboyant as his namesake. His hair was pure-white, long and wavy with one strand hanging between his eyes. Like Mantine, he was tall and slender, but managed to fill out his garments well.

Chammeng gestured to the other two men leaning against the wall. "Don't your mouths work? Show these fine people a little hospitality!" The leftmost one held a tall greatbow, similar in appearance to Chammeng's blade.

"Whoaaaa..." his deep voice trailed off almost instantly. "Sorry man, I was just... so immersed in y'alls battle... it had me feelin' some type of way. Sometimes I get too busy thinkin' bout Hellshake Yano. But yeah... I'm Flann." he said, pointing and smiling at Knight 40 with half-closed eyes.

"...and I'm..." the other one stretched, revealing a ghostly set of katar. It really started to sink in to our heroes how popular the assassin class was. "...Orange Cream. And I'm goin' to bed." he declared, and without missing a beat, curled up on the floor for a nap. As his name implied, his armor was orange and white, an extravagant, flowy garb. It made the perfect blanket for him, incidentally.

"Quite the crowd you've brought in." observed Morana.

"They aren't the best... 'least, not until I make them that way!" said Chammeng. "...but far be it from me to throw them under the bus. We all knew each other in real life, and we promised to stick together even after this whole death game mess."

Creme Brulee nodded. "He's right. We'd play almost anything together... when they were able to escape their parents, anyhow! Hmm hmm hmm!"

"Cut it out, man!" Chammeng gritted his teeth. "We gotta look good in front of these guys!"

Mantine put his hand on his chin. "Wait a second... those accents, I know them from somewhere. I have several questions!"

"Oho? Ask away, we've nothing to hide." assured Creme.

Mantine held his finger up. "First off, how'd you even get into this game? I thought this server was North American. As a matter of fact, I never did ask you either, Yuuki. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for diversity, but..."

"VPNs, baby!" beamed Chammeng. The other fighters all chimed in with a "same", and Yuuki smiled and nodded. "I've been hitting up all the Japan exclusives since I was 13. Had to show these guys the ropes." he explained, much to Creme's chagrin.

"Fair enough..." Mantine said, now holding up two fingers. "Secondly, though... how'd you get down here? No one's cleared this dungeon yet... hell, I thought we were the first one to find it."

Chammeng faltered a moment. "W-well... it's-"

Creme Brulee put his hand on the golden warrior's shoulder. "It's okay. These people don't seem like the type to judge. The truth is... we used to be part of the Guardian Force. Really, it's the only reason we got to this level. We're not far off from you, see?" he directed their attention toward their levels. They were all around the mid-30s, with Chammeng matching evenly with Mantine. "We were tasked with investigating Moonlight Shore, but..."

Chammeng's eyes set ablaze. "...we weren't having any more of it! They cut our pay down to nothing and didn't even give us access to the guild vault! I heard they were even planning on kicking us out as soon as we found the next boss, hmph! Said the way we dueled all the time made us look unprofessional, or some shit like that. So we quit! That same night, we were having a free-for-all in the graveyard and the floor gave way! We all tumbled down here. 'Course, making it out was easy, but... We had the place all to ourselves, and the best part was, the GF would never find it! The only problem is, well..."

"It's them bosses, maaan..." Flann sighed. "There's, like, a whole gauntlet of 'em through here. We can't crack it."

Chammeng smiled. "I'm glad I have these guys around. They're so comfortable with admitting what I'm ashamed to say. This lobby leads in two different directions, but one's blocked off. The remaining path has four bosses in a row. We've been able to beat one or two... even the third if we played perfect... but it always ends the same way. We nearly get toasted and have to leave! To make matters worse, these things are all undead, so they'll just keep getting back up until we clear the main boss."

"Looks like we were on the right track, then." Mantine confirmed. "You four seem all right. Hell, you automatically have my respect for ditching the GF as it is. I might be movin' too fast here, but what do y'all say to joining Knight 40? We'll gladly help you take this dungeon on, and we could use warriors as strong as you to help us make the push to clearing the game!"

The golden gladiator's smile grew wider, and he put his hand on Mantine's shoulder. "I like the way you think, friend. What say you, Battle Tendency?"

"Y'know what they saaay... the more, the merrier..." Flann said, smiling at Mantine.

Orange Cream managed to give a weak thumbs-up mid-slumber.

"I'd love to get to know these brave warriors better, so count me in." Creme Brulee chimed.

Yeah, well..." Chammeng gritted his teeth, as his heart filled with excitement! "...really, I don't care what you three think! We'll join you, Mantine... after I get a taste of what you're made of!" he declared, drawing his greatsword.

"I like the way you talk!" Mantine beamed, his navy-blue sword glinting light from the torches.

 **[[DUEL REQUEST]]**

 **[[MANTINE -LV38 VS. CHAMMENG - LV38]]  
[[ACCEPTED]]**

 **[[3! 2! 1! BEGIN!]]**

At the signal, both warriors charged in headlong! Their swords left long, blue streaks in their wake with each movement. As their blades met, Chammeng nearly took the wind out of Mantine, his oversized greatsword proving more than enough to stand against the Azure Knight! The Golden Gladiator followed up with a vertical strike, but Mantine held out his shield – the very same one that Kindon had bestowed upon him – and parried the blow!

"This is it, exactly!" Chammeng proclaimed with a wide smile as their swords crossed once more. "I can get to know you better through battle than I ever could by simply talking! What a rush!"

Mantine met the boy's smile with an even bigger one. "You're just the type my guild is looking for! I haven't been this excited since..." he said, remembering his times with the Mudkips.

The duel raged on, and it didn't take long for Mantine to exploit a fairly basic weakness; one that he should've realized sooner. While Chammeng's larger sword could overpower him, each missed swing left him wide open for a punish. Even with the immense strength it took to wield such a blade like a feather, the recovery time was just a few frames too much – just like the landing lag of certain moves in _Melee!_ Ever resourceful, Mantine took advantage of every single opening, sneaking in a hit or two before dashing for his life! The truth was, just two or three hits from Chammeng's blade could have indeed ended the duel, however...

Tired of eating free hits, Chammeng put all his strength into his next decisive blow – it was one of his special attacks! "Lay down, knight!"

"Oh yeah?! Well you first!" roared Mantine, raising his shield! With a gleam in his eye, he surged everything into his left arm and...

...incredible! His shield had parried the blow, nearly shattering in the face of Chammeng's raw might! Mantine pointed his sword at the neck of the reeling gladiator, when...

 **[[Player "Chammeng" has reached below 50% health]]  
[[Duel results: Player "Mantine" WINS]]  
[[Duel over due to player reaching health limit]]**

Chammeng had lost himself in battle once again, forgetting it was a game long enough to catch his breath, and this time, so did Mantine. "...I got too into it."

Mantine beamed smugly at the gladiator and his allies. "Looks like that would've bee the killing blow. Tough break."

Yuuki and Rance both looked genuinely surprised. Was he always this mean? Morana had a similar reaction, until she remembered his display after defeating Hookah.

"Why'd you have to be like that, man?" he groaned, his mouth going a bit crooked.

The Azure Knight pointed toward the ceiling. "Because... I think you're pretty good, as a matter of fact! However... I'm still better than you in... one, two, three, four, five, six places!"

His voice echoed through the tomb, prompting various reactions from his guildmates.

Rance mimicked his hand gesture. "Way to give 'em the tough love, Mantine!"

"Y-yeah... you sure show them... that..." Yuuki stuttered, doing her best to sound supportive. "I would've, maybe... said it differently..."

Morana raised an eyebrow. "What is he, some kind of trick master?" acknowledging the reference he'd made.

"From where I'm standing, it looks like..." he continued, eyeing up the warriors of Battle Tendency, "...the only way to reach that level is, well..."

Chammeng rolled his eyes and laughed. "You don't have to spell it out so hard, man. I get it, we've got to join Knight 40. Since you were so gracious as to accept my terms, I have no objections! You've proven well to me that yours is a guild worthy of joining.

Mantine and Chammeng shook hands, and just like that, four became eight.

 **-Players "Chammeng", "Creme Brulee", "Orange Cream", "Flann" have joined Guild [[Knight 40]]-**

Mantine clapped his hands. "Wonderful! My-, er, our goal of clearing the game before Kite and his entourage do looks a bit more realistic now, eh?"

Chammeng sheathed his great blade, and smiled at Mantine. "Y'know, man... I'm going to beat you one day. Until then, well... either lead me, follow me, or get out of my way."

Mantine nodded to the boy respectfully. "George Patton? I had no idea you knew your history so well."

"Yeah, well..." he kicked at the stone floor lightly. "We like to study you guys when we're bored enough."

"While I'm glad to see your... relationship flourishing... shouldn't we get straight to the business?" interjected Creme. "I live for the main event!"

Mantine flashed the ninja a thumbs-up. "Now there's the attitude I'm lookin' for! You're gonna be right at home in my guild, Creme. So let's gear up and-!"

He felt a hand on his shoulder. "Mantine, dear... do you have a death wish? Let's get an idea of what we're up against before we jump into this."

The Azure Knight laughed heartily and put both hands on his hips. "I can't die, Morana! No way! Besides, anytime I ever find myself in a tight spot, you'll heal me up good as new!"

She smiled and shook her head. "You can't always count on that, you know... What if I get distracted?"

"Yeah?! Well...!" Mantine kept his hands on his hips and leaned closer to Morana. "How exactly d'ya suppose we go about it, then?!"

 _Cute overload!_ Thought Rance with a jubilant smile. _Even the way they argue, it's classic! I'm a natural at this hookup thing!_

Morana rolled her eyes. "If you'd been listening... our new friends over there mentioned they'd gone through the dungeon before, at least up to the third boss. Perhaps you four could tell us what to watch out for?" she asked, before turning to Mantine and smirking. "See? Was that so hard?"

Chammeng was more than happy to comply. "Good point! Alright, if I remember correctly, yes... the first is the Bone Frag. It's a big armored... skeleton thing. Normally it's slow, mainly it just tries to slam its body down on you... but as you break away the armor, it becomes faster. As the name... might have you think, it can launch fragments of its own body around the room, but it's the easiest of the bunch."

Mantine began to take notes, typing everything down in the guild menu.

The gladiator continued, "Next is the Katler. A cyclops monster... also fairly slow, but it constantly fires a magic barrage from its eye. Once we got it into close range, it was done for. Just gotta watch that magic, its tracking'll follow you to the ends of the earth... and it cuts through your defense."

Mantine and the others listened closely, nodding.

"...and the furthest we made it, was Ratler. That grotesque, undead rat with a metal blade running down its spine. It hasn't a single ranged attack to speak of, but its sheer speed closes any distance we might get on it. Simply put, it hits hard and fast. Get stunlocked, and you've got a one-way trip to the next dimension."

Mantine took a sharp breath. "Duly noted. Too bad it's Sunday..."

Morana pulled his blue ponytail. "Would you get serious?"

"I am, I am..." he insisted. "Lemme get my hotbar adjusted. Everyone else, it might be in your best interests to do the same. It seems like these guys don't dish out any poison or paralysis, so no need wasting slots on cure items. Instant-use heals like cake are your best bet in a pinch, and memorize any weapon skills you might need to get the edge on these monsters. They're undead, which means we've gotta get 'em all in one go to put 'em to rest for good."

Mantine put his fingers on his chin, thinking to himself for a moment. "Thing is, this dungeon has a limit of four players. We'll have to decide on who all's going in. Naturally, there's no way I'd sit this one out. I'll tank that rat out for you til the cows come home!"

"No objections from me... are any of you three wanting to volunteer?" Chammeng asked the Battle Tendency members.

"Nope." said Orange, going immediately back to sleep.

Flann continued to stare into space. "Whuuuuhhhh...?"

The gladiator threw up his arms. "Of course... that's all they ever did at school, too..."

"I'd be more than happy to take my turn, dear Chammeng." Creme clicked his claws together. "However... we need to think of this strategically. That girl is our only healer, so she's a must."

Morana smirked with approval. "Nice to know I'm needed... and desired! No matter how many people you recruit, Mantine... you're lost without me."

The knight shrugged. "Ain't it the truth." he admitted.

"I'm with you all the way, too." said Chammeng, slinging his ghostly blade over his shoulder. "DPS is the name of my game!"

 _Normally I'd disagree with a player using something that slow and heavy..._ thought Mantine, analyzing Chammeng's equipment. _...but his weapon's a whole seven levels above mine... upgraded too, and that raw damage... wow!_

Mantine then looked over his shoulder at Rance and Yuuki. The would-be Harem King stuck out his palm. "Aww, don't look at me like that. Two knights would be redundant. I'd love a piece of this action, but... I like to give the underdogs a chance to shine! Yeah, that's it! I got next, though!"

Yuuki lightly bowed her head. "I am handing this one to Creme. Think of it as a test of worth to our guild, leader!"

Mantine scratched the back of his head. "Aww, don't call me that!"

The ninja thrust his claw into the air. "Then it's settled! The four of you, wait for us! We'll share whatever loot we manage to purloin from this mildewy grave!"

With their final preparations made, the decided group of Mantine, Chammeng, Morana, and Creme Brulee descended further into the Underground Graveyard, ready to put an end to the undead threat for good... and take one more step toward freeing the innocent souls trapped within this cursed game!

The lower floors were roughly what one would expect. Structurally similar to the lobby, with increasing signs of wear and neglect as the group made their way down. Hordes of mummies, rats, flying eyeballs, and skeletons had risen up at the command of whatever lie at the end of the dungeon, but Knight 40 had little trouble putting them back to rest! These enemies proved to be marginally weaker than the ones Mantine and Morana faced in the Dangerous Caverns, and Chammeng and Creme knew the area well enough from their previous expeditions.

Before they knew it, they'd reached the Bone Frag! It was here that Morana discovered she could use her healing magic to gravely injure undead, rattling the creature's bones enough for Chammeng and Creme to pound it into bonemeal while it was focused on Mantine. The first boss encounter had gone off without a hitch!

Down the next floor, hordes of enemies were traded for some tough platforming! Each player had to make death-defying leaps across the tomb's bottomless chasms, time their jumps across the chained moving platforms, and avoid the walls of spikes that would emerge from behind! The timing wasn't easy, but even this challenge couldn't keep Knight 40 at bay for long!

Once all four warriors had caught up, the next door creaked open, leading them to Katler! The rampaging cyclops wasted no time loosing a barrage of red-hot magic on the players! Morana cast a barrier spell, and the other three rushed the boss down as fast as their legs could carry them! Just as Chammeng said, this boss had little to work with in closer range, and was defeated even more soundly than Bone Frag! Had they not known better, they might've thought this dungeon to be a bit too easy...

The next floor down was simply a giant, square room full of plague rats. Creme managed to clear most of them out on his own, excited at the massive combo potential it provided. Chammeng chided him a bit for showing off, but admitted he might have a future in pest control. Before they knew it, the next gate slid open, inviting Knight 40 into Ratler's domain!

It was a similar song and dance to the previous boss chambers, with several enemies forming a barrier around the big bad himself! True to Chammeng's description once again, the metal-clad rodent towered over them and screeched loud enough to make their ears ring! Its eyes glowed a pale, sickly yellow, and its fur was patchy and matted down in several spots! Ratler curled up and began to roll and bounce around the chamber in a manner similar to Ahtoo! Creme took to clearing out the rat's entourage, then signaled to Mantine! "Make it one for the bards!"

Mantine nodded, and activated his Provoke skill! The proc was successful, sending the enraged rat spinning straight toward the Azure Knight! He tensed his left arm out, holding his new shield steady! "If you're still out there, Kindon... protect me! I won't lose!"

Sounds of grating metal echoed through the tomb as sparks flew from the shield... but it's stalwart defense refused to falter! Though this protection amounted to little more than numbers, Mantine wanted to believe Kindon was still watching over him! After Creme had disposed of the adds, he sprinted straight for Ratler himself and viciously clawed at the beast, giving it a taste of its own medicine! He dashed back, and shouted over to Chammeng! "Now, SWITCH!"

"Hey, you got it!" answered the Gladiator! Ratler had stopped spinning, and reared back for a swipe with his claws – but on Creme's command, Chammeng had appeared in his place! He took the attack head-on, but retaliated with a mighty swing of his greatsword, sending the rat reeling back! As soon as the creature was stunned, Morana followed up with a great tornado of fire, whipping across the room until it engulfed Ratler!

"Guess he forgot about me!" she taunted. "Chammeng, hold still a sec!"

The gladiator stopped in his tracks, receiving the warmth of a healing spell. "My thanks! Life's hard without a shield, as you can see!" he said, shifting his eyes to Ratler's health bar. _Less than a fourth... are we really going to do it...?!_

His mind must've been on the same wavelength as Creme's, who called over to Mantine after noticing the boss' stunned state! "My dear knight, launch this beast! Right now!"

Mantine rushed toward Ratler with his sword behind him! "With pleasure! I just hope you know what you're doing, new guy!" the aqua blade glowed a dazzling blue! "Maximize sword skill: Hyper... air launch!"

Mantine smote the rat with a devastating upward strike, sending it careening into the air! Then, at the apex of its height...

"Taste my flourish, rodent!" roared Creme, spinning his body until his claws became a cyclone of carnage! "Maximize sword skill: Sinister Screwdriver!" he announced, tearing into Ratler like a power tool! The flurry of claws showed no sign of stopping... that is, until the boss health reached its last tick! Creme landed, struck an elegant pose, and bowed. "...you should be ashamed for making me wait that long, filthy cur."

"Outstanding, I gotta say." Mantine conceded. "You continue to surprise me, but I've still got you beat in... one, two, three, four-"

"I think he gets the point, Mantine." Morana interrupted. "Either way... this place definitely feels different, but even the rat was nowhere near as tough as Ahtoo. Just makes me wonder..."

Chammeng took a deep breath. "This is as far as we've made it, friends. As such, this is also where my advice loses its... usefulness."

Creme patted his friend on the back. "You did what you could, dear. If we've made it this far, whatever's ahead won't be much tougher, no?"

"Again with the attitude I like! You're heading toward a promotion if you keep that up!" complimented Mantine.

Creme put his hands behind his back and blushed. "Ooh, don't tease me so, leader!"

"Yeah, we're gonna have to work on that..." Mantine lamented.

"Let's get a move on, you three. I wanna see just how far this rabbit hole goes." said Morana, slugging down a mana potion.

Following the cleric's command, Knight 40 proceeded out of the rat's cage and found themselves in an even larger chamber. It was perfectly square, with two tiers connected by staircases. Strewn about the room were many dead enemies, completely unresponsive. What caught their eye was in the very center of the room – an opulent coffin decorated in gold and white. Knowing what would happen, the players approached the coffin and reached out to touch it... only to have it snatched up by a group of writhing bandages! Their source made itself known without hesitation, a hulking, mummified humanoid, adorned with bloodstained horns and deformed beyond recognition! Its furious growls made it obvious that it wasn't happy with outsiders defiling its tomb!

\- **Kajimodo: Guardian of the Graveyard -**

Steeling themselves for the ensuing battle, Knight 40 spread out to the corners of the room! Kajimodo reached his lanky, swollen arms around the adorned coffin, creaking it open! It released its spirits as wispy projectiles, tracking the players and exploding on impact! They managed to evade the ethereal assault, and wasted no time going on the offensive! Mantine, Chammeng, and Creme attacked from all sides, while Morana pelted the undead with her signature meteors! Mantine reveled in their early lead! "Perfect, I love it!"

The combined attack was enough to deplete its first health bar, and do a number on its second! The mummy let loose a distorted scream, beginning the next phase of the fight! All the skeletons, zombies, and suits of armor creaked to life, making a beeline for the heroes! Mantine shot Creme his gaze. "Hey, can you run interference?!"

"I expected this much! It's no different than before!" the ninja readied his claws, tearing through the undead reinforcements while the others maintained focus on Kajimodo! The beastly mummy couldn't keep its focus on one player, and their coordinated attacks had shredded its second health bar, digging straight into the third! It let out a screech loud enough to stun all four players as it entered the next phase! Kajimodo dug the coffin into the ground and clambered atop! Using it like a macabre pogo stick, he began to hop around the room, attempting to flatten Knight 40!

The leaps were just high enough to go over the players' heads, but fast enough that it was near impossible to get an opening! Just touching the coffin was enough to inflict damage, on account of its cursed aura! It didn't take long for them to realize that attacking him in this state was futile – the coffin itself was immune to damage! Just then, something about the boss' movements set off a spark within Mantine's mind.

" _Gimme a break..."_

He called out to his allies, "Listen up! All of you, let's wait this part out!"

They all looked towards him with confirmation, noting the glow in his eyes. Even he hadn't felt this way in a long time! By his command, everyone took evasive maneuvers, trusting what their leader said. "Now, now, don't just run, you fools! Dunno about you, but to me, this looks like a great time to bust out all your buffs! He can only chase one of us at a time, and you know what that means..."

He cast Provoke, sending Kajimodo into a barreling rage toward him! "Now, before it runs out!"

"By your command, leader... Gift of the Ninja: Evade! Now, don't squander it, dear! ~" Creme struck his claw in the air, and the other three were enveloped in a white glow!

Morana twirled her staff, runes appearing before her! "Sanctuary of Health!" she shouted, summoning a fountain from the ground to heal her allies.

"Don't forget me! Even us steadfast brawlers have something to give!" Chammeng had already charged his own buff, ready to do his part. "Strength of a Bear!"

Meanwhile, Mantine was leading Kajimodo into the middle of the chamber, a devilish smirk across his face as he outran the bounding mummy. It took a little longer than he thought, but just as he'd predicted, the boss lost balance and toppled over! Mantine didn't have to tell Knight 40 what to do next – they all converged on Kajimodo and unleashed their strongest attacks! The devastating combination left Kajimodo with less than half of his final life bar!

The mummy broke free from his stunned state long enough for one last-ditch attack – its coffin swung open to reveal long, ghostly arms! They all stretched out, distorting the air around them as they attempted to grab the players... only to have Morana flick her wrist, summoning a meteor from beneath the ground to tear them away – and blow a hole clean through Kajimodo on its way back!

Just like that, with the simple, yet effective coordination of Knight 40, the fearsome undead had been put to rest for good! Filled with the rush of victory, they began to celebrate amongst each other... only to be silenced when the coffin creaked open one last time... revealing a small, golden fairy creature of sorts. Flakes of gold glinted off of her body as she floated down elegantly, contrasting everything about her surroundings.

"Hear my message, brave guardians. The curse of undeath that permeated these chambers is now cleansed. I shall complete the cleansing ritual, but I cannot disable the barrier protecting the Spectres' Tower. Prove yourselves to Anukus, and break the spell Paris hides behind..."

These few words were all she left Knight 40 with before enveloping the entire chamber in golden light... the blinding flash teleported them all back to the graveyard's entrance! Their HUD indicated that loot had automatically been placed in each of their inventories. Naturally, Rance and Yuuki cheered to their success, with the Harem King offering a round of drinks. Flann managed to sigh out a "Victory, victory...!~" while Orange, as one would guess, had slept peacefully through the entire ordeal.

After distributing the loot, Mantine explained the situation to the four who couldn't participate in the raid, doing his best to outline their next goal.

"Slow down, big homie!" protested Rance. "Anukus? And what's the Spectre's Tower? Fam, you gotta realize... I've been stuck here blackin' myself out for the past few months... 'least, til I met you."

"Paris, the witch everyone's been chasing... even the GF is knocking on her front door. What sucks for them is... the boss holding her barrier up, Anukus, is down here. That light fairy did a fine job opening up the path." he explained further, pointing toward a crumbled hole in the wall. "Pretty strong for such a dainty thing."

"I get it now! This guy must be the 'real dragon' Larell was mouthin' about... but there's one thing I gotta know. Exactly how did you know how to deal with Kajimodo? It was like you fought him before, or somethin'."

Mantine winked at his guildmate. "Gimme a break. It really was _almost_ like I fought him before... in _Castle Crashers,_ after you beat the cyclops boss, he comes back in the final castle, armed with the coffin of the black knight. The way Kajimodo used it as a weapon... bouncing around and all that? It was just too similar! Whoever designed him must've been a fan."

"Oh, yeah!" Morana recalled a memory from her childhood. "My brother and I used to play it, but he'd get mad and break our controllers before we got that far. I'm kinda glad he's not playing this with us!"

"...in any case..." Rance directed their attention to the destroyed wall, "what are we waitin' for! Let's wreck 'im! I bet there's all sorts of women at the end of this road! Who's ready?!"

Yuuki chuckled at Rance's bravado and put one hand on his shoulder, making him gasp. "Calm down a second, Harem King. If I may, Mantine..." she began, nodding at the guild leader.

"Go ahead! It's all good."

"...see the new quest that unlocked on the journal?" she pointed out. "Pay attention to this kind of thing."

Just as Yuuki claimed, everyone in Knight 40 now had the option to accept "A Leg Up!". It was an optional quest, but merely involved talking to the blacksmith NPC and requesting him to make new, powerful leg armor. It was just up above, in Moonlight Shore, so Mantine honored Yuuki's request to go see him. Mantine followed her, while the rest stayed behind to distribute the loot and prepare for their first dragon-slaying mission.

 **Moonlight Shore Village**

Climbing out of the secret entrance, it was only a short walk south to the blacksmith and his shop. A tanned, lanky, yet muscular man with short spiked dark hair hammered away at his next masterpiece. A yellow question mark hovered above his head, indicating he had something to offer, but right next to him was someone that caught Yuuki's eye! She covered her mouth and gasped, doing a double-take as she realized just who this woman was. Overjoyed, the dragonkin bounded toward the enigmatic woman, embracing her with a warm smile.

"Sis! It is... it's really you!"

"Yuuki! Hey, you're not dead! Not sure if I should be more relieved, or surprised." she replied, snickering.

Once Yuuki pulled away, Mantine got a better look at the woman. Unlike her sister, she'd chosen a human class – more specifically, a warlock. This was one of two paths the mage could go down upon reaching level twenty; the opposite of the path Morana had chosen. These players focused largely on offensive magic, commanding the use of the game's strongest spells and laying down damage from afar.

Her hair was a deep shade of purple, tied into pigtails with blunt bangs and a pink hairband. A long, elegant gray robe adorned her slim body, decorated with many baby-blue jewels and a round fur collar. The staff on her back was also forged in a pure-white metal, with a navy blue crystal floating atop it. She flashed a peace-sign at Mantine.

"Hey, you! Did I finally get some takers for this quest, or what? Jeez, I posted this joint several days ago... the last person I thought'd be stepping up to the plate would be my own sister!" she said, putting one hand on her hip. "Oh yeah, they call me Sutahime!"

Her speech pattern was... decidedly contrasting to Yuuki's formal words, and her accent was much milder. Mantine wondered if she'd spent so much time playing online games with Americans, that it eroded away.

Sutahime dashed toward Mantine before he could finish his thought, and got extremely close to examine him thoroughly. "Yuuki, please tell me this isn't the boyfriend you were talkin' about that got us to play this! Surely, y'can do way better than him!"

"No, that's the wrong guy, I-" Yuuki shook her head several times.

Embarrassed, Mantine held up his hands and reaffirmed what Yuuki was saying. "That's not it at all! I've recently found someone, yes, but it's not her. We're, uhh... actually still looking for her boyfriend."

"Aww! My cute little sis is a hero! I can hardly believe it!" Suta chuckled.

Mantine pointed to her and gritted his teeth. "I don't appreciate your commentary on me, lady! I think I like your sister better!"

Suta put one finger on her bottom lip and smiled devilishly. "Oh yeah? And whatcha gonna do about it? Square up if you think you can take me, knight!"

Mantine sighed and conceded. "Ehh... later. You aren't worth my time right now, and I've had enough PvP for one day."

"Excuses, excuses." she teased, crossing her arms. "Well, do you two scrubs have time for my quest, or did you just bring your friend here to admire me, Yuuki?"

"Whaddaya mean, 'your quest'?" demanded Mantine. "I thought only NPCs were quest-givers."

Suta shook her head. "Shows what you know. The ol' blacksmith here is bogged down with all kinds of requests from the GF and what have ya. So I took this one up for him to hone my skills. My sis likes cooking... I like hammering stuff."

Indeed, upon closer inspection, the belt around her robe had a hammer on it. Too small to be a weapon, but the perfect size to fashion one.

"You have discerning tastes, sis." Yuuki said. "It is refreshing to see you again, and so strong even! Do tell us, what would the recipe be for this new armor?"

"Recipe, she says..." Suta rolled her eyes and snatched the armor's blueprints from her sister's hands. She opened her menu interface and studied it carefully. "Hmm... yeah... uh-huh, gonna need at least three of those... do we even have a... nah, that won't do at all... okay! I think we can jerry-rig these pants together!"

Mantine smirked at the mage in gray. "Alright, I'm listening. Tell us what you need, and we always deliver!"

"Quite confident for someone who could die at any second. Have you been drinking? Anyway, this leg armor's made from undead dragon scales." Suta explained. "You're also gonna need some of its horns... and yeah, I've got the rest. I assume you'll know where to find all this?"

Yuuki's expression lit up. "That's wonderful, sis! We just so happened to get on the right track a few minutes ago! Let's go back down; everyone else is probably all ready. This is great! We can get this boss out of the way and score ourselves some new armor!"

The mage smith smiled at the pair. "Splendid. On your bike, then! Don't get yourselves killed; I need your business! Heh heh heh...!" she laughed haughtily as they returned to the graveyard. "Make sure my sis makes it outta there safe, or you won't."

Returning to the graveyard's lobby, Mantine and Yuuki explained the situation regarding Sutahime to the others. Everyone was naturally excited at the prospect of obtaining powerful armor, and even Orange managed to take a break from his slumber to voice his excitement... before promptly dozing back off. As per Mantine's request, the others had optimized their inventories and hotbars, ready as they would ever be for the upcoming boss. The Graveyard still had the four-player limit, so it was up to them to decide who'd be delving in.

Mantine and Chammeng once again snagged the first two openings with no hesitation, and Morana had no qualms stepping in to keep them alive. Creme opted to bow out of this one, for the time being. "It's someone else's time to shine. I haven't the fortitude for two climaxes, you see?"

It quickly came between Rance and Yuuki, the knight and the summoner staring at each other quizzically. "What? You said you had 'next'! Do you not desire a piece of the action?" asked Yuuki, honoring the harem king's earlier words, though clearly dejected.

Rance turned away and blushed. "Yeah, but... Well, it's just that... I know you can do a lot for us, y'know?" he said, digging his heel into the floor. "It's like I said, two knights would be redundant! It'd be a real shame if you missed out on this. I know you don't wanna. You're too easy to read, you know that? 'Sides, you got Mantine's girl to patch you right up if you get in a pinch!"

Yuuki couldn't help but smile at these words. "You talk quite a lot, Rance-Sama. Maybe there is more to you than I fully understand. In any case, count me in! Let's make my sis proud! We can rub this victory in the GF's face too!"

Mantine smiled at the group. "This is why I keep you around! Away we go!"

With that, the four left the safety of the dungeon lobby, this time into the destroyed wall, ready to face whatever was on the other side!

As they were teleported into the catacombs, not a single enemy opposed them this time. Just a long, dark hallway leading to a square chamber not dissimilar to the one they had just fought Kajimodo in. Their genre-savviness let them know roughly what they were in for. At the far end of the room sat a statue depicting a dragon, its smooth claws caressing an orb of crystal. Everything about this picture screamed 'RPG boss to Knight 40.

Steeling himself, Mantine approached the statue and reached out to the orb, knowing it was what he had to do to kick this whole thing off. Just as the group predicted, the statue roared to life in elegant patterns of black and gray and gold! The now-living dragon snatched away the orb and... spoke to them, in very clear English.

"I see. So this is what you seek, travelers. With this orb, you may nullify the barrier around Spectre's tower. A noble goal, to be sure. Very well, then you may have it..."

Mantine reached out to grab the orb, only to have his hand slapped away by the spiked dragon. "...if you can prove that you are worthy of its power! I, Anukus the undead dragon, was sealed away by Paris, suffering the same fate as Elga. Powerful as I may be, I could never best the Fell Witch. If you cannot defeat me, you won't last through the minute with Paris... and so... I must test you! Survive against me and prove to me that you can silence Paris for good!"

"It'll be an honor." said Mantine, readying his blue blade as the other three followed suit with their weapons.

Unfolding his wings and displaying his four health bars, Anukus darted around the arena at a speed never before seen by any player! He struck each of them for devastating damage before they could even see him close in! Realizing that staying still would be the best strategy, they all held fast, charging their skills until just before he passed, relying on distortions within the air to hone in on his position!

Morana focused her magic. "This won't do at all... I was hoping I could use this one sooner or later, anyway!" she said, holding her staff high. "Maximize magic: Stopwatch!"

The spell hit, and the undead dragon's flight slowed to a viscous glide! It didn't last long, but it was enough for Knight 40 to whale on him well past his first health bar! He was one hell of a heavy-hitter, but his defenses left much to be desired!

For his second phase, Anukus called out to the deepest reaches of the tomb, summoning a horde of undead to back him up! They sprung forth from cracks in the floor and walls until the players, now separated throughout the room, could hardly see through the crowd! Morana rained hellfire down on the group closest to her, while Mantine and Chammeng blazed a gleaming trail through flesh and bone! The remaining undead turned their attention to Yuuki!

She clutched her gunstaff tightly...

...only, it wasn't fear that overtook her. She felt her entire body pulse with raw excitement! She couldn't keep this to herself much longer!

She pointed the blue gunstaff at the teeming horde, light gathering at its barrel until it fired a devastating beam of light, tearing through their rotten bodies until but particles of light remained!

Seeing the last of the undead fall, Morana pumped her fist and congratulated the girl. "Nice move!"

The quiet German girl wasn't done yet. She held her gunstaff close and Morana noticed that she was quietly chanting something to herself, drawing in a bounty of energy. Just above the dragonkin's head, a pitch-black portal swirled open. She'd summoned forth something too large to make its presence fully known! A set of ten claws, dripping with blood began to emerge from the portal!

As the unholy creature struggled to pierce the black void, Morana called out to Yuuki! "Hold on a sec, dammit! It might not be such a good idea to use your strongest attack first! Why don't we whittle him down some more before you... don't you wanna think about it?!"

Yuuki's expression was one of pure determination. "No, I don't! Because I want to help you all put an end to this and go home! Now, let me have this moment... before I lose what little sense of reason I have left!"

This was surely a side of Yuuki they hadn't observed yet, and indeed observe was all they could do. Perhaps she really was serious about becoming the top player!

"Mantine... I've got the fire now! Thank you for allowing me this... and so I'll channel all this fire into these sorry souls! I got this idea from you three, so let me try my hand! Ahem! Triple maximize summon: Ichorous Earth!"

The clawed hand lunged out at a blinding speed, revealing an arm bulging with muscle and vein – tearing into Anukus as though the dragon was no more than discarded trash! He roared and writhed in pain as the demonic arm squeezed every last drop of life out of him... but fell short. The spell had expired, and the arm melted into light once more. This brutal blow was hardly in vain, however – it had shredded clean through two of Anukus' life bars! It seemed the undead dragon was on the ropes! Mantine, Chammeng, and Morana couldn't help but look on in amazement.

" _Hubris."_

In a single motion, the injured Anukus had taken flight again and careened toward Yuuki like a fighter jet, digging his jagged wing straight into her stomach! The other three felt dread wash over them as they turned their attention to the party HUD – Yuuki's health had been reduced to a red, flashing sliver!

Could a single attack from Anukus really be that strong? No, it was something else! Morana was the first to realize what really happened, and dashed toward her fallen ally, preparing a heal spell!

"Yuuki! Did you really have to...! What, you thought we wouldn't realize that crazy summon of yours was cast straight from your health?! Rrgh, you're a headache, you know that?!" Morana was genuinely enraged, stunning Anukus with a meteor long enough to cast a standard heal. "There. Now you'd better get up after all that showing off."

Yuuki's eyes grew weary as her gaze drifted up to her HUD.

 _ **\- Paralysis lv. 3 will affect your status. -**_

She looked up at Morana with a crooked smile. "It looks like that won't be happening... Morana. That one took everything I had, and Anukus had one last dirty trick left. Now send that dragon packing, so I can do that again!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Yuuki saw a golden light streak through the air!

"How dare ya treat Ms. Yuuki like that?! I'll have ya for lunch!" Chammeng charged toward Anukus, greatsword held high! Brushing off the debris of Morana's meteor, Anukus held up one wing, deflecting the blow... and paralyzing the golden gladiator as well! Trying in vain to move, he managed to mutter out a "Not cool... I can't go out like this...!"

With Morana on double-duty, healing the defenseless Yuuki and Chammeng as Anukus clawed at their helpless bodies with impunity... it was all down to Mantine to decide the fight! In the very corner of his HUD, he noticed a red sword icon flashing.

 _What a time for a new sword skill! Hold on... it's only active when half of the player's party is incapacitated._

He read through it as quick as his eyes could follow. _Hmm... Lethal hit. Fifty-fifty chance to decide the battle with a single strike. Either way, user takes severe damage. Banned in PvP._

With no other choice, Mantine held his sword high! "First off... Provoke!" he activated the skill, drawing Anukus to him alone. "Eyes over here, you flying lizard! It's now or never! Sword skill... Lethal Hit!"

Reading the move, Anukus barreled toward the Azure Knight... but upon activating the skill, Mantine was just able to match his speed! They met square in the middle of the battlefield, Mantine's sword cleaving into Anukus' chest... as the dragon's vicious claws tore straight into the knight's face!"

They landed on opposite sides of the arena, motionless for a fleeting moment... until a spray of light emitted from Anukus' wound as he split in two! His top half thudded to the floor, the dragon whispering out his final words.

"Well done... brave adventurers... but do not squander this power... use it to fulfill my wish and destroy Paris...!"

He coughed up a final stream of dust before collapsing into shards of light, and leaving behind a generous box of loot for each hero. A warm, red orb embraced them, healing Knight 40 of all their wounds and paralysis. Feeling movement return to them, Chammeng and Yuuki cheered loudly, as Mantine and Morana shot each other warm smiles. Knight 40 nearly felt their hearts drop as the columns of light teleported them out once again, to meet their allies in the dungeon lobby.

Naturally, those who stayed behind were overjoyed that the brave warriors had managed to overcome the odds and slay their first dragon.

"We saw the whole thing!" Rance explained, speaking so quickly that he could hardly breathe between words. "This scrying pool feature in the lobby is nuts! The _League_ streams I watched back home ain't nothin' compared to this action! Even ol' Orange boy over there stayed awake for the show! Dude, you gotta tell me how you did the whole Ninja Gaiden thing at the end there! Bein' the same class as you... it's only natural I learn it sooner or later..." his elation faded momentarily as his voice trailed off, staring at Mantine's visage. "Hey, uhh... what happened to your face, man?"

He leaned Mantine over the scrying pool, its view of the Grave fading away, leaving plain water illuminated by the skull torches. Despite having fully healed, the knight now sported a deep, long scar across his cheek. The water reflected his confused look that flowed into a smile. "Weird, I've never heard of a game doing anything like that before. Points for realism, I guess... oh, yeah! We hit each other at the same time, like you saw, right? I guess his special attack left a permanent impression, then. Guess I'm keepin' it. I was always more of a _Yamcha_ fan anyway.

Morana and Chammeng distributed the loot, while Mantine and Yuuki returned topside to deliver the good news to Sutahime... and claim everyone's reward!

The mage smith was lounging on her anvil, tousling her twintails. Upon catching sight of the duo, she rose from her seat and crossed her arms, laughing heartily. "Well, I'll be damned! My little sis and the blue bomber actually did it! I'll be honest, I had my bets on you biting it, blue. Ahahaha!

"...thanks for the support." _asshole._ Mantine said, then thought, completing the _Eminem_ lyric.

"Well, what's the holdup?" Suta demanded, mashing the trade button until their HUDs overflowed with requests. "Hand over the dragon bits! You wanted several pair, so lemme work my magic!"

The trade was complete, and Suta drew her blacksmith's hammer with a flourish. "Now, watch and be amazed, mothafuckas!"

Attempting to balance all the materials as she walked a few paces back to the anvil, she fumbled and dropped the whole lot. Quickly gathering them back up, she looked back at Mantine with furious embarrassment. "You didn't see that... now, where was I?!"

With one hand, she cast a spell to superheat the metal and dragon scale, threw it onto her anvil, and began to hammer away with the perfect balance of rhythm, precision, and blazing speed! Fire crackled from her fingers and smoke billowed from her anvil, and when it was all over... several pair of wonderfully sturdy platelegs stood on crude wooden mannequins, ready for distribution. "Ta-da! No extra charge, a 'Thank you oh goddess Sutahime' will suffice."

Mantine and Yuuki nodded at her, clearly impressed. The Azure Knight spoke up. "Alright, you got me there. With that kinda tech skill, you could-"

Suta put her hammer away, and for once, shot the man a warm smile. "Hey, uhh... in all seriousness. Thanks for keepin' my sis alive. She's got a bad habit of wandering off, y'know. Back home, we had to lock the doors every night, and-"

Yuuki was blushing beet-red. "S-sis! I'm right here, you know! Too much!"

"Sorry, Yuuki. I only do this kinda thing 'cuz I care." she said reassuringly.

"Well, hey..." Mantine piped up. "Honestly, Yuuki did most of the work in our battle. She summoned her highest-level demon from the get-go and demolished half that dragon's life! She's not to be taken lightly when she gets competitive."

Suta laughed, holding her chest. "I knew it! My badass sister did all the work while you sat back and watched! Way to get carried!"

Mantine's eyes lit up with white-hot fury. "HEY! I'll have you know I was the one that killed that dragon for good! Watch that mouth of yours, or I might have to show you some respect for the Azure Knight!"

"Ooh, please... spare me." Suta couldn't have laid on the sarcasm thicker.

Mantine put a finger on his chin. "You know... as much as that attitude ruffles my feathers... It's also a great example of what drives me to get better. Sutahime, how 'bout an honorary position with Knight 40, the dankest guild known to man?"

Half expecting her to swat the offer away, Mantine gasped at the sight of her accepting the guild invite. "Not an hour ago, I would've laughed you off the stage, but... you did a fine job provin' your worth to someone like me. You've taken great care of my sister so far, and if she's in the guild, well... I'm naturally obligated to tag along and make sure her and the rest of ya don't get your last game-over. I wanna stick it to that rat bastard Wesley and go home, dammit!"

She reached out to Mantine for a fist-bump, to which he returned the gesture. "You're all right, big blue. I just like breakin' your balls."

"Yeah, well I've got balls of steel!" he retorted with a wide grin.

The three began walking back to meet up with the rest of Knight 40, ready for whatever lay ahead. "Before all this is over, I'll have to test that claim in a real duel." Suta taunted.

* * *

A week had passed since the battle with Anukus. Understanding that the Spectral Tower would be on a whole new level, Knight 40 took every possible step to prepare. Despite wanting to clear the game as fast as possible, they knew rushing in now would wear on their mental state and open the door for crucial mistakes. The original four once again took up residence in the Moonlight Shore Inn, with Suta and the Battle Tendency crew staying in Port of the Winds for the time being, seeking out info brokers for anything that could help them further. Some areas past the Spectres' Tower were safe enough to travel through, and Suta had it on good authority that other bosses awaited on the far reaches of the Continent of Wind.

One misty night, the inn's silence was broken when Rance crept out of his bed, finding himself unable to sleep. "Damn... must be this weather, huh? Ain't even tired. Oh... I left about half a glass of that lady's beer out downstairs. Thanks, past Rance! Think I'll go help myself... wonder if it's still fizzy."

Half-stumbling down the stairs, he retrieved the ornate glass, still half-filled as he remembered, and turned his attention to the backdoor. "Mm... maybe the night air'll clear this funk up. I've gotta get back to bed... was havin' this great dream about Yang, too..."

The backdoor lead to an outside dining area, complete with umbrellas and stone tables, with a few benches against the building's wall. Rance kicked back in one of the seats, took in the fresh air, swigged at his beer...

...then, he noticed something that jolted him fully awake. Slumped against the wall on one of the benches, was none other than Yuuki. Eyes half-closed, she gazed at the virtual stars, either unaware or uncaring of Rance's presence.

The harem king raised one eyebrow. "Yuuki? Whatcha doin' up this late?"

"I could ask you the same thing." replied Yuuki with a weak smile.

"Fair enough... want anything to drink? I saved a few extra back inside." he offered.

Yuuki shook her head. "I'll pass. While you're here, though... I was wondering. That 'shared inventory' thing that Mantine and Morana got when they became a couple... it's a cool feature, don't you think?"

Rance shrugged, taking a sip of his beer. "S'okay. Dunno how I feel about a lady ownin' half of my stuff. It might be different in Germany, but here in the 'states, we got some laws about that kinda thing..."

"I see..." she said softly. "...is there any way I could enable that feature with you guys, without entering a couple?"

Rance nodded. "I think it's doable... we're in the same guild, so I think you just gotta enable the feature through the guild menu."

"Thank you." she said, before returning to her stargazing.

About an hour had passed in silence. As Rance finished his drink and was preparing to at least try to get back to bed, he heard light sobbing from the young woman.

"What is it, fam?" he asked, doing his best to sound caring.

"I know everything I did today made me appear to be a wellspring of strength and... but it took so much out of me at the same time. Seeing myself and Mantine so close to the end, and Chammeng made to be defenseless as well..."

Yuuki looked up at him through teary eyes. "Rance... _I don't want to die here._ "

Rance's heart skipped a beat. He struggled to find the right words for a proper response. "Yuuki, I... dammit, I'm no good at these things. I'd wake up Mantine or Morana, but... no, I've gotta do this myself! Look... I joined his guild because I didn't wanna let anyone else die, either! Everyone here values you a lot. Especially that sister of yours, from the looks of it. I won't let a damn thing happen to you, and I know the others feel the same way. I'm the adventurer who seeks the truth, dammit!"

Rance knelt down and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Yuuki remained silent, but smiled a little and wiped away her tears. She got up, and walked toward the door, with Rance not far behind. "Hey... try to get some sleep, wouldja?" he asked, intending to do the same himself.

The two turned in for the night, and the next day greeted them with a new challenge.

"I toldja I had more quests for you, big shot!" Larell was stiffly pointing a finger at Rance and Mantine, who'd left home early to speak with the grave tender. As promised, even slaying a dragon wasn't enough to satiate this strange NPC. "Thanks to the EXP I so generously rewarded ya with for putting those undead back to bed, it looks like nearly the lot of ya are ready for a promotion!"

In Dragon Saga, the next class advancement happened at level 40. Mantine, Rance, Morana, and Sutahime and Chammeng back in Port had all reached this threshold, with Yuuki and the other Battle Tendency crew still falling a bit short. Mantine and Rance had elected to save a few of the Job Advancement Reports for the others as a reward when they kept up. Despite how much Larell drummed up the challenge, the quest itself was child's play compared to Ahtoo and Anukus. It was, if anything, menial busywork, tasking them with the disposal of three minibosses scattered across the continent. At the very least, the places the quest had brought them to were midly nostalgic. First was the giant raven in Wailing Hill, where Mudkips had defeated the last of the ogre tribe many months back. Then, they were lead to Decker Shark Piers, the infamous site of betrayal, to defeat Knightscale, the demon fish. Finally, they returned to the mine where Ahtoo once resided, and finished off the Onyx Leather crocodile.

Returning to Moonlight Shore, Mantine and Rance taunted Larell a bit on how trivial the quest was, and he himself admitted that it was mostly a formality, as toughing it out in the Graveyard was the real test. As promised, the gravekeeper handed out a total of nine Job Advancement Reports, enough for each member of Knight 40.

Larell scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, yeah... you did good, and all that. Now, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you all... class level three, or whatever. Now... go on somewhere before I start to actually respect ya."

The two boys were pleasantly surprised to see Morana, Chammeng, and Sutahime all waiting just outside the gate for their lovely reward.

Chammeng, bursting with excitement, was the first to nab his. "Myrmidon, it's called? I'll be doin' the flips like Lon'qu before you know it!"

Morana activated hers next. "I can finally wear the new robes you gave me, Mantine!" she said, referring to the romantic gift he'd hid away from her last week. Upon equipping it, she noted the flowy design and tall, round hat. "...and I look like a squid. Bloop." she said flatly, before scrolling through her new skill menu and distributing her points.

"Hand it over, big boy." Suta extended her hand at Rance. "I'm about to make some magic!"

Rance could swear he felt his armor tighten at the sight of Yuuki's sister. _Alright, so the younger one was taken... but the real treasure's lookin' me in the eye! Plus-one for the Harem King!_

"You don't have to tell me twice. You're a regular Sill Plain!" he said, accepting the trade.

Suta put a hand on her hip. "You callin' me boring, boy? Cuz I'll..." she said, clearly not getting the reference.

"Aww, come on! It was a compliment! How about a date after we get back to the real world? I'll show ya the whole Rance series in one night!"

Suta blushed a little, and shot him a smirk. "Try a little harder, eh?" she fumbled with the job change scroll a bit before consuming it, taking on her next class.

Mantine gave Rance a knowing look. "It's just us then, fam? Let's do it at the same time! Three... two... one... Master Seal!"

The two knights consumed the scrolls in sync, and as the sparkling light faded, they had become paladins! Both of them spent a few minutes browsing their new skill tree, elated at the new team buff options they'd opened themselves up to. Defense buffs... status healing... time stop?!

Rance stared at the last one in awe. "ZA WARUDO?!"

"Sure looks that way!" Mantine said, smiling back at him. "We'll stand proud after we learn these."

Rance's face twisted into an absolutely devious grin, his rows of sharp teeth piercing Mantine's soul. "Hey, we gotta hash somethin' out... since you finally advanced to the next class, well... you ain't exactly a knight now."

"Well, yes, but... where are you goin' with this, fam? I'm scared." Mantine's eyes widened.

"Where I'm goin, is that you can't really be called the Azure Knight anymore!" he schemed. "Nah, we need a new title for our fearless leader... You're still blue, but... I've got it! From this day forward, the Azure Knight is now... _the Periwinkle Paladin!"_

Mantine grimaced at the suggestion, holding up his finger. "Eh, Rance, I'm not so sure about-"

"It's too late!" Rance bellowed, pleased with himself. He produced an item from his bag – a Reinforced Megaphone! This would broadcast any spoken message across the entire game! "Listen up, you mongoloids! This is your Super King Rance speaking! We of Knight 40 are here to free your sorry souls, and the name of the man who'll bring us to salvation... is the Periwinkle Paladin! Sing his praises, or else!"

Mantine was as flustered as ever, and the others couldn't help but have a laugh at his expense, repeating the name Rance had just christened his friend with.

The paladin's cringe forcefully twisted into a determined smile as he silenced the group. "You'd better believe it! I'm gonna be the best damn Periwinkle Paladin you ever laid eyes upon! Just who the hell do you think I am!" he shouted, striking his finger skyward.

Morana smiled at him sweetly. "You're Mantine. The badass leader of Knight 40, after all."

"Yeah, well..." he shot her back the same look. "That body gives me the chills every time I look at it!"

As the two shared a warm embrace, Rance sighed with contentment. "We haven't all felt this good in quite some time... Maybe things'll work out after all. I'll help everyone trapped in this game, then the whole country! Wait for me, everyone..." ~


	7. 7 - Winter Wonderland

_**Chapter 7 – "Winter Wonderland"**_

* * *

Another week had passed. Knight 40 had spread out, returning to old dungeons to gather any valuable items they may have missed. Another safe zone was discovered – Libra. This town was built on the ridge of a volcano, using the natural heat's energy to sustain itself. Strings of lights hung above, bringing Libra a certain charm when visited at night. Reinforced metal gates around the town kept the skeletons and demonic rams at bay, but it also meant that venturing outside would prove dangerous. Sutahime had lead Battle Tendency there to procure more information, while the core members of Knight 40 explored elsewhere.

"These pants my sis made for us are lovely, but..." Yuuki ranted, looking over the stats of the platelegs they'd earned from Anukus. The next night, the group found themselves gathered around one of the dining tables in Moonlight Shore Inn, food and drink half-finished. "Why could I not find the top... the bonus they give when worn together is much stronger!"

Rance was editing the color scheme of his pair, half-listening to Yuuki's lament. "Yeah, they kick ass! Your sister's got a way with hammers... uhh..." his train of thought shifted, looking at Yuuki pleadingly. His puppy-dog eyes didn't look as endearing above his shark-toothed smile. "Soooo, Yuuki... it's been a while now. You should tell your sister all about how awesome I am. This harem ain't gonna build itself!"

Yuuki laughed a bit, still getting used to the insatiable desire for women that defined Rance as a person. "Were you not listening? She told you to try harder. She loves a good listener, I know that for sure!"

Mantine chuckled at Rance's display before getting back on track, nodding at Yuuki. "Fair point about the armor. I did notice there were several other chambers we didn't explore back in the Underground Graveyard, near Anukus' chamber. We were all so focused on taking him out, that we didn't take a look! I think a few more even opened after his defeat. I did poke around in there a little... found some gauntlets, but that was about it.

"Aww, I just need the toooo-oooop!" she whined with clear exaggeration, hoping it would coax them into delving back in there for another look.

Rance patted her on the back. "Hold your horses! It's a smart idea lookin' around there, we could find one for all of us – that set bonus kicks ass! Look at you, thinkin' all about our survival. I think it'll be no problem to head back down there for a little. All the enemies and bosses are, like, extra dead. No skin off my back."

"Spectres' Tower will be one helluva test of our skill..." Morana added. "We'll need all the supplies we can get to come out without casualties. I think it's in our best interests to take a look down there. The others are working their asses off right now, so why shouldn't we do the same?"

Everyone agreed to revisit the Underground Graveyard the next day, after a good night's sleep. When they awoke, Yuuki was nowhere to be found. Realizing she'd probably got too excited and went on ahead, the rest of Knight 40 were quick to follow... _but something was dreadfully amiss..._

They realized Yuuki hadn't been answering her private messages as they made their way back to the graveyard. It was quite unlike the Dragonkin to ingore them. They all hoped that she was simply too focused on the treasure to notice her message box, but a chill began to creep its way up their collective spines as they delved deeper into Anukus' chamber.

"Ah, jeez, boss... it's more of 'em! They're comin' outta the woodwork like cockroaches!" echoed a voice that was certainly not Yuuki's.

Mantine, Morana, and Rance had their suspicions confirmed when they reached the boss chamber – Yuuki found herself surrounded by a very sketchy looking group of players. None of them even had to think about what action to take – drawing their weapons as they rushed to their guildmate's aid.

These new enemies came in all sorts of classes, and their gear was notably tattered and rough in appearance – but they all bore the familiar white-and-yellow scheme of the Guardian Force. The sight struck a nerve with Mantine and Morana, especially considering every one of them sported a red player status.

Before her allies could process what was going on, Yuuki called out to the shady foes. "Y-you leave them out of this! Stay away, or it is you who will fall next!"

Inches from where she stood, a player's body lay slumped over, slowly succumbing to poison.

"Aww, look at the little baby... thinks she's hot shit for gettin' a lucky one off on us... you're gonna eat shit for killin' one of my boys!" shouted the largest of the group, a gladiator and likely the leader of this ugly group.

Mantine couldn't hold his tongue any longer. "You got a mouth on you, huh, boy?! What's your beef with Yuuki anyways?!"

The burly warrior rolled his neck. "I got a few problems with her, little fish! Firstly, this area is exclusive property of Dirgegun, and the Guardian Force, by order of our guild leader! Any loot found here is forfeit to us!"

Morana scowled at the man. "After we cleared the place out? I don't think that's very fair..."

"Life ain't fair!" he snapped back. "'Sides, we ain't never gonna let a disgusting thief like her take anything else, right boys?!"

The other invaders cheered in unison, while Knight 40 shot each other looks of confusion. "Thief? The hell are you smoking?" Mantine demanded answers.

Yuuki gritted her teeth in shame as Dirgegun elaborated. "This little lady and her boyfriend pulled a real sleazy move last month... they acted like they was gonna join the GF, got reeeeal close to us, y'feel me? Then they made off with a bunch of our gold! Took us a whole freakin' minute, but we finally pounded that rat bastard Lucas into dust... now all we gotta do is take care of his other half.

Yuuki's eyes welled with tears at the mention of her boyfriend's name as the group jeered and taunted her. "You will be the ones crying next! My guild will surpass the Guardian Force and make you kneel!"

Dirgegun crossed his bulky arms. "Mmm, now that I'd like ta see... to bad we won't get the chance."

 _Damn... there's one, two... ten of them in total. One's as good as dead. All around level 40. The leader's got a few levels on us, even. We'll have to make our shots count..._ thought Mantine. He looked over to Morana and Rance, who appeared to be sending messages to someone.

"Let's limit the casualties if we can. Just focus on getting Yuuki out of here." Morana stated.

Rance bared his teeth, holding his ornate blade tight. "Alright, but I might not be responsible for what happens to these freaks." he said, notably more serious than they'd ever heard him speak.

"What kinda two-bit heroics am I lookin' at here?" laughed Dirgegun. "In case ya' math skills ain't too sharp, you're outnumbered pretty bad... and my men ain't no slouches."

As if on cue, four pillars of light appeared behind Rance – Chammeng, Creme, Flann, and Orange had all been teleported to their location, fully prepared for combat!

"We heard every word, Morana! Dig those heels in, Battle Tendency!" Chammeng commanded. "We may be part of Knight 40 now, but you're still my men!"

Creme pushed a strand of hair out of his face. "Oh, my. I had many more important things to do than teach a few ruffians how to treat a lady, but if I must..."

"Bogartin' all the loot for yourselves? That ain't tight..." Flann remarked, nocking an arrow.

Orange slowly turned to face the opponents, dramatically drawing his katars. "You're the ones who woke me up?! Don't you realize how irritable that makes me?!"

Mantine realized what the other two had been doing a moment ago. "Good thinking... but where's Sutahime?!"

Morana shook her head. "My teleport ally spell only works on four players at the time, and they happened to be the closest together! I'll see if I can bring her in while it recharges!"

"Damn wannabe heroes... you're right, it was good thinkin' bringin' your buddies down here... cuz now ya can all die together!" Dirgegun continued to taunt Knight 40's efforts. "Ey, Prophet! Don't let 'em do that again, or you're outta here!"

From the furthest corner in the room, a warlock's voice echoed. "No problem, boss. Teleport Block level 4." a green aura surrounded the room.

"Good boy. Now all of you, get burnt!" Dirgegun was done talking, and charged toward Knight 40 with his men following suit!

For the first minute, the clash was breakeven. Swords sparked light in the dark tomb, spells exploded against themselves, shields narrowly deflected arrows, and Yuuki's summons assailed the brutish thugs! It would all come down to whoever made the first mistake!

 _...and that was Flann._

Growing tired of whittling his opponent down, the aloof archer had activated a bow skill – triple rapid fire! His target, a ninja, weaved himself through the shots as he closed the distance! Locked down until the volley of arrows ran its course, there was little Flann could do beyond accepting his untimely death.

Orange jumped on the claw-bearing foe like a wild animal, tearing into his gut with ghostly katars! "Rrrgh! How dare you! You'll never wake again!" he roared, tossing the body aside until it burst into light!

A dark orb spell assailed Orange through the room, but he ferociously deflected it away and pounced on its source – one of the warlocks, and activated one of his sword skills, shredding him to ribbons within seconds! "I'm ready! How 'bout you?!"

He looked around the chamber with a crazed visage, when an arrow struck him in his blind spot before he could swat it away! It had stunned the assassin long enough for an entire volley of arrows to rain down upon him! His body fading, Orange was the next to enter his final rest.

To make matters worse, the Guardian Force had slowly began forcing Knight 40 into the middle of the room, where Yuuki still stood her ground! Losing his patience, Dirgegun activated a sword skill, his blade glowing a sickly yellow. He swung the slab of metal around in wide, unpredictable arcs, cleanly hitting Chammeng and Creme! They survived, but found themselves crippled with paralysis!

"Y'like that, punks? I learned that one from the dragons!" growled the gang leader.

"Flann... Orange... damn it..." was all Chammeng managed to choke out.

Creme writhed in pain, wishing he could defend the other players for longer. He couldn't bring himself to say anything, sobbing to himself as his vision faded amid the chaos.

With Battle Tendency effectively out of the picture. The thugs shifted their focus to their initial target: Yuuki. Three of the ten had fallen, leaving three to keep Mantine, Morana, and Rance busy while the other four prepared to finish their job. The poor dragonkin was frozen with fear, clutching her gunstaff close to her body as the brutes closed in.

Rance was able to push an enemy knight away long enough to stand his ground in front of Yuuki, digging in his heels. "You won't lay a scratch on her, goddammit! We've wasted too much time with you worthless-"

 _Skkkssssshhhh_

Without breaking stride, Dirgegun slapped the green paladin into the wall with his greatsword, paralyzing him as well. His stomps grew heavier as his men circled Yuuki, their faces stricken with malice.

 _Kchkkkk... One._

Her body tensing up, she barely managed to block the first swing with her gunstaff, knocking one of the thugs over with its sheer weight.

 _Kchngggg... Two._

A quick follow-up from one of the gladiators broke her guard with little effort. Losing her balance, she began to stumble back.

In that moment, Mantine, Morana, and the rest of Knight 40 were helpless. All they could do was watch... watch as Dirgegun struck his strongest blow.

 _KRSSSSHHHHHH... Three._

A blow that, as it crudely tore through the young woman's chest, proved more than enough to kill her.

Mantine and Morana screamed her name in agony as the blade found its mark. In her final moments, as her body collapsed into fleeting light particles, she looked Mantine in the eye and said something to him.

As Dirgegun and his group celebrated over the empty spot where Yuuki stood mere seconds ago, something broke within Mantine. Any shred of rational thought left his mind as he charged wildly at the murderous players, sword set ablaze. Right now, nothing else mattered to him – all he knew was that he wanted these people to die.

The seven remaining enemies scoffed at what they viewed as last-minute heroics, all charging him without second thought.

Of course, second thought was often the difference between life and death.

The warlock, the one Dirgegun referred to as Prophet, was the first to learn this lesson, as Mantine cleaved him in half without even stopping to make sure he was dead. He beheaded the gladiator behind him, then skewered the archer that had killed Orange.

...and that was where his streak ended. Mantine pinned Dirgegun to the ground for a second, piercing him with his gaze and his sword, but the others quickly overwhelmed the paladin, swarming him like a pack of starving wolves.

Mantine's armor was protecting him just as it had back in the sewer, but these players were leagues stronger than Belladonna's gang, easily able to outdamage his auto-recovery as they chipped away at his defenses. Even worse, Mantine was so focused on taking out Dirgegun that he didn't notice his health as it dropped to critical levels!

"Mantine, get outta there! If you die now, this will all be for nothing! I know you want this guy dead, I would too! But we'll get that chance later!" Morana begged her boyfriend to break away from the battle while he still could.

A twisted, sadistic smile decorated Mantine's face as he drove his sword deeper into Dirgegun's chest. "C'mon, Morana! Just a minute or two... I've almost got 'im!"

Morana growled with frustration, knowing she'd have to take this into her own hands! "Mantine, YOU IDIOT!" The curvaceous cleric cued up a spell that would preserve the future of Knight 40. _Damn you, you hard-headed boy. This is going to destroy my staff but..._ "Triple maximize magic: Couple Warp! And Guild Warp!"

Six pillars of light materialized over the surviving members of Knight 40, and the next thing they knew, they were transported back to Moonlight Shore Village, fully healed by the safezone effect. Larell couldn't bear to look them in the eyes.

There were no more words for tonight. Only tears.

* * *

 **July 3rd, 2022**

 **[[Mantine]]  
[Paladin]]  
[[Lv. 41]]**

 **Mantine's Log:** _"_ _On that day, we lost someone who could never be replaced."_

I never had the heart to tell anyone, but I had gone back into the graveyard the night before that fateful battle, and I did find the armor she was looking for. I was planning on giving it to her when I met up with her as a surprise. I'll hold onto it forever, now.

Sutahime naturally took it the hardest. Her heart was utterly shattered. She blamed herself. She wished she could've been there for her. Seen her one last time, at the very least. When she lost her sister, she lost a big part of her whole world. We did everything in our power to console her, even though we were all still hurting immensely ourselves.

Rance, for a while, was drained of all his positivity. He never wanted to admit it, but he loved Yuuki. Not only did he love her, he respected her enough to back down on his advances when he knew she was spoken for. His regrets were immeasurable. It took him a long time to return to his old status as our guild's wellspring of happiness.

Two days later, Creme Brulee went missing. I found him on the highest tower in Port of the Winds. He couldn't bring himself to speak. Then, before I could stop him, he jumped. I was close enough to the hiscores board to see his name turn red. I broke this news to Chammeng once I built up the courage. He locked himself in his room in the inn, crying himself to sleep.

I told everyone I wouldn't let anyone else die. I guess that makes me a liar, then. I'm so sorry, everyone.

* * *

Knowing it was what they would've wanted, Knight 40 pressed on without Yuuki, and Creme, Orange, and Flann as well. Memorials were placed for them near the Graveyard's entrance – swords with red cloth tied around them. For many months, things simply weren't the same, but a slow process of recovery had begun among the group. Moving on would prove to be harder than any boss they'd ever faced, but they did it for Yuuki, Orange, and Flann.

* * *

 **December 21st, 2022**

 **[[Mantine]]  
[[Paladin]]  
[[Lv. 50]]**

 **Mantine's log:**

The players of Knight 40 were closer to each other than most friends become in a lifetime. At least, I think so. About five months have passed since tragedy struck back at the Underground Graveyard. The five surviving members of Knight 40 have worked tirelessly to clear the furthest reaches of the Continent of Wind.

Valid Raeth's Chief Rocko – defeated.

Queen Vella of the Smoldering Swamp – defeated.

The artificial dragon, Lavalon – defeated.

The first of the two continents, Wind, had been cleared, thanks to Sutahime's work discovering the remaining bosses. Now, only Paris herself remained.

As the saying goes, 'time heals all wounds'. We had been able to collectively move past the deaths of our beloved allies... but around this time of year, I found myself a bit lost in my feelings. The holidays tend to bring memories of happier times back to the surface, and I hated wishing that I could go back... I began to get some very dangerous ideas.

* * *

Winter had fallen over Port of the Winds for the first time since Mantine was still with the Mudkips. A medley of Christmas music lightly played throughout the port town, which was now decorated from tip to toe with festive banners, a rainbow of lights strung along everything that could hold them, snowmen, and of course, Christmas trees.

As time passed, they'd established a basic-level guild hall there, incidentally the thing Yuuki had been saving her gold for. It was in this hall that the four of the five players gathered around a toasty hearth, watching a livestream of the first annual Winter Warriors PvP tournament. Chammeng, wanting to do his late friends proud, had elected to enter, representing Knight 40, and the others were ready to cheer on his victory.

Naturally, everyone had gotten stronger over the months clearing out the Continent of Wind. The entire group was caught up with one another, at level 50. Participating in the raid on Lavalon had granted them a wealth of experience and gold, with plenty of items left over to sell. Mantine himself was decked out in a full set of Templar armor, its helmet bearing three bronze crests, with the rest of the set in his signature shades of blue. His winter variant even had a white fur collar. Rance's setup wasn't too far off, save for his green-and-gold finish.

The warp spell had left Morana's Aqua Spiritual staff past its breaking point; repairing it was beyond even Sutahime's abilities. Thankfully, it, along with the weapons of Mantine and Rance, had been replaced with those strange ghostly variants they saw Battle Tendency carrying. They were known as the weapons of the Dark Soul. While Mantine and Morana were quick to associate the name with the infamously difficult game series, their power was a great step up, and there was a hidden ability listed in their descriptions that none of them had entirely figured out.

Everyone had their attention on Chammeng, as he danced around the other competitors, holding his own in the free-for-all better than they'd expected. Mantine was just as into it as the others, but his expression began to sink. Rance, noticing his friend's sudden change in mood, walked over to him and tilted his head. "Somethin' the matter, fam?"

"I mean... yeah." he said, matter-of-factly. "This time of year tends to dig up a lot of memories. Gets me in my feelings, I guess."

Rance frowned at the blue-clad warrior, slowly realizing what he meant. "This is... you're thinkin' about Yuuki, aren't you?"

Mantine silently nodded, surrendering what he felt.

"Look... Mantine. I know it hurts. To be honest with ya, I still think about her from time to time... but look at all we've done since then! It's what she and the others would've wanted! Besides, it's almost Christmas! So have a little cheer and... be happy. We'll clear this game just like Yuuki wanted. She'd deck you in the jaw if she saw you moping like this!" said Rance, punching the air.

Just then, the guild hall's door burst open, and a loud thud was heard as a gold fist slammed the wall, triggering the "immortal object" readout. "Fuck! Shit! Dicks! Second place?! Assassins are so broken! Get outta here with that stun-locking bullshit!" Chammeng, having narrowly lost the tournament, was swearing up a storm that would rival Ralphie's dad. He dropped the display when he noticed everyone staring at him, disturbed. "H-hey, guys... looks like I lost." he said, hanging his head in shame.

Sutahime laughed at his display. "Jeez, how old are we? Good thing we're in VR, or your controller would be smashed!"

"I'd like to see you do better, woman!" Chammeng snarked.

Suta crossed her arms. "I probably could. You ever seen a good Warlock throw down in PvP?"

"You did great out there." Mantine said warmly. "Hey, uhh, I'll be back later tonight. Someone wanted me to meet near the bank, said they had a good trade for me."

"Just don't get scammed, fam." warned Rance.

Mantine chuckled. "Don't worry, I wont let 'em trim my armor."

That evening, he met up with a woman named Ashlea. She gave off a shady aura, dressed entirely in black, with long, bushy hair to match. Despite this, she was mostly compliant with Mantine, handing over a sky-blue ticket in exchange for a modest bag of gold, and whispering something in his ear before the two parted ways.

Mantine returned to the guild hall and relaxed with his allies until night fell. Not wanting to wait any longer, he took a deep breath, psyching himself up to explain to everyone what he was about to do.

"Everything the info broker told me seems to check out. She's solid. Looks like my next destination is the holiday event quest." Mantine announced.

Rance looked confused. "Homie, you spent money on that? Everyone knows about that event, it was a public announcement!"

"Indeed, anyone could've told me it existed, but that woman told me more about the rumor I heard surrounding it. She had no real reason to lie to me, so I'm going for it."

"Rumor?" Morana inquired.

Mantine took another deep breath. "I'd heard that the quest's boss drops a very special item. A pet, kinda like the one Jin had back in the sewers. It's said to be a sheep... with the ability to revive a fallen player."

The others displayed a collective look of shock as their hearts dropped to their stomachs. They murmured among themselves, but none spoke up.

"That said", Mantine continued, straight faced, "I'm heading to the portal just outside. It'll take us to the Frozen Forest. It's a straightforward path, we plow through the enemies and take the boss down, just like we always do."

Knight 40 knew there was nothing they could do to stop their leader when he was like this. Everyone geared up and traveled through the portal, leading to starlit tundra with great pine trees as far as the eye could see. A rudimentary path was carved through the snow, marking the way forward. Knight 40, now stronger than ever, had little trouble tearing through the hordes of sensitive snowmen, yetis, ice golems, and charging reindeer. The cold air nipping at their bodies did nothing to deter them, and before long, they had reached the boss gate.

Everyone made sure to heal up and equip torches to cure freeze, and stepped toward the gate, when...

"Ey, step off, Mr. second place!" A rough voice called out angrily into the night.

Recognizing the voice, Chammeng jerked his body around, looking for its source. Among the snow, he spotted a man dressed in silvery-white leather, face covered by a wrap as he brandished a pair of katars. From behind the trees, three more assassins made their presence known.

Chammeng drew his greatsword angrily. "I was hoping for a rematch, big boy... but I didn't think it'd happen so soon! What is this all about, anyways?!"

The assassin laughed mockingly. "Seeing as how I won the tournament on behalf of the Divine Dragon Alliance, isn't it only fair that we get to take this boss on?"

Mantine quickly lost his patience as he watched the exchange unfold. "Look, I see where this is going... quit the theatrics and skip to the part where you leave!"

This only angered the assassins in white further, and Mantine shot a sharp gaze at his guildmates. "Sucks this had to happen, but... waste these clowns, would you kindly? They're all talk. Look at their levels and gear! They probably wanted this quest just so they could try to optimize their builds or somethin'. I'll handle the boss myself."

Rance put one hand on his leader's shoulder. "Fam, I, uhh... are you sure about this? Solo play ain't exactly your style! We can take these guys on real quick and-"

"Did I make myself clear?! I'm 'bout to lose what little patience I have, so let me have this one!" Mantine commanded.

As his faithful companions steeled themselves to take on the Divine Dragon Alliance, Mantine stepped through the boss gate alone and cast off his fears to face whatever waited for him on the other side.

 **[[Rage Snow Queen – Mistress Claus]]**

The clash amid the snowfield felt like it would never end. Mantine pushed himself far past his limits as he hacked away at the grotesque, twisted corruption of a fairytale. The cold grew harsher as the battle raged on, nearly bringing him to faint. Through sheer force of will, his blade remained strong... and as both of them were down to their final sliver of health, _Mantine channeled of all his hatred into one final swing._

* * *

"Ha-ha! That'll teach you Divine Dragon losers to step up to Knight 40! Go home and cry to momma!"

Rance was celebrating with the others over their relatively easy victory, this time without having to take a life. They all breathed sighs of relief as they saw the boss gate reopen, Mantine emerging alive and well.

"Mantine!" Rance grinned at the sight of his friend victorious as well. "Oh, fam, you shoulda seen it! We whipped those guys somethin' fierce! Morana set 'em on fire, and I don't even wanna talk about what Suta lit 'em up with! Brutal stuff! We were all like, shboom! How they ever thought they could... uhh, big guy...?"

...but something was wrong. Mantine remained utterly stone-faced as his greaves crushed the snow underneath. His eyes were dark and cold, devoid of emotion.

He opened his inventory screen and produced a baby-blue sheep; its sparkling wool appeared just like the snow. He crudely tossed the animal over to Morana, the cleric gasped as it bleated in mild pain upon impact.

"Read its description." said Mantine in a disturbingly monotone voice.

Morana did as he said, and upon doing so, came to realize why he appeared so hurt. "It only revives players who died within the last thirty seconds..."

"You take it, and make sure no one else dies. Live on til the end."

Everyone else looked at Mantine, overcome with sadness. None of them could find words to console his pain, and for the time, they remained silent as the falling snow.

* * *

Mantine found himself at his desk back at the guild headquarters, beer half-empty, head buried in his arms as he tried to clear his mind. As the clock struck midnight, a translucent prism materialized on the desk, apparently coming from Knight 40's guild inventory. It began to float above the desk's surface, and lit up in a sparkling teal shade.

From the crystal, a girl's voice began to speak.

" _This is a message for Mantine, former member of the Mudkips and leader of Knight 40. If you are hearing this now, I have likely already died."_

 _Yuuki._

" _Mantine, many things happened during your three-month absence from the game. You were not the only one who had soured opinions on the Guardian Force. My boyfriend and I joined in an attempt to sabotage their ranks. An attempt that ultimately was ill-conceived. How do you think I got so strong by the time we had met? We stole from them in small increments, and used that money to get more powerful. However, we were eventually caught and fled the guild. By the time you found me, I was already on the run. Despite what I may have said, I already had little hope for Lucas' survival, and I knew they would catch up with me someday."_

As the message played, Mantine shut his eyes tight, gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and began to sob uncontrollably.

" _The truth is, no matter how much I wanted to be the best player, I had already accepted my weakness. It hurt, but I came to terms with my limits long ago. Mantine. Morana. Rance, Chammeng. Creme. Orange. Flann... and especially you, sis. My request is that you all live on til the end. Live to see the end of this world, and why it was born. Live to see why a weak girl like me ended up here...and the reason we all met."_

Teardrops slowly trickled over the message crystal.

" _I left a little something that might get you in the spirit of the season, just in case you were feeling distraught."_

Through the silence of Mantine's room, Yuuki's voice began to happily hum the Christmas carol, 'Winter Wonderland'. This brought the Texan teen to his most melancholy state. There was no way Yuuki could have known this, but 'Winter Wonderland' was the song his grandfather had played on saxophone at the mall concert he went to as a child. For that last minute before the message finished playing, he felt like the young woman from Germany was watching over him.

He continued to lightly sob to himself for the rest of the night, until he felt a tight, warm hug from behind. Morana had come upstairs to check on him after what happened. As he turned to face her, he was met with that endearing smile he couldn't possibly resist. "Dry your tears, honey."

Morana had decided to keep the sheep as her very own pet, christening it with the name 'Altoid' after her favorite candy. She vowed to use it to save a life, in the event that she ever needed to. Altoid curled up on the sofa near the main window and slumbered for the night. Mantine almost felt bad for manhandling the virtual pet earlier.

He told Morana about the message, and she understood the way he felt. "...but you need to stay strong for her. We're almost halfway done with this ordeal, so let's make her proud."

Mantine nodded, and smiled for the first time since his departure.

"Hey, it's that song you liked!" Morana's ears perked up, as the Port was greeted by the sounds of a slightly more recent Christmas tune – Meghan Trainor's _'I'll Be Home'._

Indeed, Mantine had grown fond of the song over the winter, as it reminded him of what he wanted to do when he finally returned to the real world, desiring to meet up with Morana for real.

Morana held her and out and smiled, requesting the 'waltz' emote to Mantine. He happily accepted, and the couple danced to the holiday tune, their eyes on one another through the length of the song. It was the happiest he'd been since their days back in Moonlight.

He thought long and hard about everything that had lead him to this point, and knew now what he had to do. Tonight, he realized that regrets over the past only wasted his time and held him back. Forward was the only way to go, and soon, it would be time to head back out to the front lines, as the Continent of Chaos loomed over them waiting to be explored. For tonight, however, it was time for our heroes to rest, and prepare to exchange gifts in the morning.

* * *

Knight 40 did not spend too much time on the festivities, knowing they had relaxed enough and that they were scheduled to head back out the next day. Over coffee and peppermint cake, they discussed their next move, when...

 _Thump. Thump. Thump._

Someone was pounding on the door of their guild hall. Shrugging, Mantine went to greet the visitor. Before he could ask any questions, the man on the other side began pleading with him in sheer desperation. His voice shook and quavered as he spoke.

"Knight 40... I... I'm a messenger for the Guardian Force. We began the assault on Spectres' Tower today, but our men are being slaughtered as I speak! On behalf of all the living players of Dragon Saga Online, I beg for your assistance! You're the only ones left besides us, and w-we... you need to clear the tower too, right?! For the sake of our survival... please, help us, Knight 40!"

Mantine furrowed his brow in disgust as soon as he laid his eyes on the white-gold armor the messenger wore. "Aww, the big bad prestigious Guardian Force? You need our help, do ya?"

Before he could respond, the man's head was met with a swift metal boot, sending him flat on his back. " _Then crawl at my feet."_


	8. 8 - The Black-Heart Witch

**Author's notes:** _ **Yeah, that last one took me a good while. I put everything into it, and still felt there could've been more. Hope you liked it, because we're wasting no time moving on. If it hasn't been obvious, we're skipping the 'Murder in the Safe Zone' mini-arc because I didn't feel like it added much to the original SAO. Instead, this chapter will reflect the large-scale assault on Floor 74, another well-known moment in the story and one I thought was pretty solid for the most part. For this adaptation, Paris will essentially fill the Gleam Eyes role, if I hadn't foreshadowed it enough already. It's this part where you can really feel elements of Overlord start to seep in.**_

* * *

 **Chapter Eight – "The Black-Heart Witch"**

The Guardian Force's unsuspecting emissary groaned in pain, still reeling from the impact of Mantine's armored kick.

"That's better." the paladin taunted in a cruel tone, as the man ended up in the position he'd requested one way or another. "Now, go on, and make it quick. The Guardian Force wore out its welcome with us a long time ago."

The messenger pushed himself to his knees. "I'm begging you, Mantine... and the rest of you, just hear me out. My name's TortoiseShell... just call me Tort. I don't know what your trouble is with us, but if you could put it aside just this once, w-we..."

Behind Mantine, Tort met eyes with Rance, Morana, Chammeng, and Sutahime. They all glowered at him with contempt. His nervousness grew exponentially as he forced more words out. "I-I... don't know how else to say it, mike. You five are some of the strongest players here by a good margin. My vice-masters are already exploring the Continent of Chaos, so..."

Mantine sunk into thought. _Vice-masters?! I wonder if Kite's one of them... Grr..._

The Texan looked deep into Tort's eyes. He saw genuine fear and anguish. Why, now of all times, did his compassion have to surface? "Spectre's Tower, you say? That's been a place of interest for Knight 40 for a while now. The thought of those GF chumps makin' it there before us makes my blood boil!"

Tort visibly flinched at Mantine's fervor. Shaking his head, the guild leader continued, "Ergh... Tort, was it? I can't say the same for my friends, but I'm willing to give you a chance. What someone like you is doin' with the GF, I'll never know, but I won't pry. On behalf of the honorable Knight 40 guild, I accept your plea. However, there are conditions..."

The other four sharply nodded at Tort, still giving him threatening looks just in case he forgot who he was dealing with. "We aren't mercs for hire. You'll need to give us all a day to prepare. Honestly, you were idiots to rush in without a real strategy... but I didn't expect that from the GF."

Tort held his finger up. "...but we're already...!"

Mantine shook his head. "You're up there in the ranks, from the looks of it. Call off your men for the time being. They'll recover through the night. Bring them back to Spectre's Tower at high noon, and we'll meet you there. I've got a few old friends I could call up too."

Tort quivered, and nodded sharply. "Got it!" he opened his guild chat and gave the order for a tactical retreat. He was initially met with confusion and protest, but was firm with his order, and nodded at Mantine again.

"Very good. I have other conditions, but we'll talk that over after Paris breathes her last. Are we all on the same page?" he asked Tort, as well as his guildmates. They gave varying sighs of confirmation.

"All that said... go on somewhere, wouldja? We never got to open our Christmas presents." Mantine dismissed Tort and slammed the door to his guild hall.

"You sure 'bout that guy? I can rough him up if you want... Lord Mantine." Suta teased.

Mantine shook his head and winced at the ironic pet name. "No... I gotta remind myself that the GF is pretty big. A lot of stand-up guys joined 'em just to stay alive, and he seems like one. Do feel free to keep any eye on him, if you would."

"An evil eye, yes!" Suta beamed.

Rance put his hands on Mantine's shoulders and squeezed, making him flinch. "Get down to business, bro! I'm about to bust one if you don't get those presents out!"

"H-hey!" laughed Mantine. "You were all supposed to bring some too! The loot bag from Mrs. Claus wasn't enough? Hahaha!"

Chammeng produced a few boxes from his inventory. "We didn't leave you twisting in the wind, either. I got everyone... it's all money. I'm awful at gift-giving, so go buy yourself something, no?"

Morana followed suit, passing out boxes wrapped in red. "You're lucky I like spoiling you all."

"Aww, don't make me feel bad about upstaging you all. Feast your eyes on these!" Mantine passed out four heavy crates, keeping the fifth for himself. Each one was bursting at the seams with a bounty of colorful crystals. "This is what I've been up to the past few months. The Element Dungeons weren't too tough – it was all repeat bosses... but it was one helluva grind. I wanted to get us all something practical."

Rance tilted his head. "...what are they, broseph? Looks like crystals to me."

"Not exactly. They're elemental blesses. I gave you each one-hundred – try using them with your Dark Soul weapons." he explained. "I still haven't figured out the hidden sword skills they have, but I learned you could use blesses to unlock the weapons' potential. If we're really going to assault the Spectres' Tower, we'll need these."

Indeed, there were four different colors, each representing an element. Blue for ice, red for fire, green for nature, and purple for darkness. Mantine didn't think twice on which one he wanted.

 **[[Used -Sword of the Dark Soul- and -Ice Bless- x100]]  
[[Obtained "Glacialis"]]**

Mantine's transparent sword had completely changed shape! It had extended in length, and its new overall design was something to behold. The blade itself was now forked, in a brilliant gradient of sky-blue to white. The hilt was like a trophy cup. gleaming gold, with small wings for a crossguard.

Chammeng took note of its cup hilt, similar to a ceremonial torch. "Headed for some Olympics, yeah?"

The paladin examined the weapon with a satisfied smile. "Now this is a sword!" he exclaimed, further examining the stat screen. "Hmm... dammit, it doesn't explain dick about the hidden skill, but those stats are yummy. Give y'alls a try! Morana, I saved fire for you."

"I knew you would, silly boy! Now you're about to witness greatness, so don't blink!" she said happily, combining her items.

 **[[Obtained "Firedra"]]**

Morana's staff had undergone a similar transformation, now cast in rigid red metal with white accents and jewels adorned all over. Its tip was in the shape of a flame, with motes of fire emanating from it as she waved it around.

"It's something from my wildest dreams! Thank you, dear." she said to Mantine with an adorable laugh, prompting a wide grin from Rance.

Suta was next to put her gift to use. She opened the crate to reveal many purple gems. "Dark? Guess I'm going edgelord for you all! Okay, I'll just..." she dug her hands into the pile, trying to lift all the elements out... but fumbled, spilling them all in her lap and on the floor. "Ahh, seriously? Mantine, did you coat these in butter?"

"Joy. Our head mage is a regular Felicia." snarked Morana.

"Watch your tongue, girly! I'm about to make something to smite you good with!" shouted Suta as she scooped up the crystals of dark.

 **[[Obtained "Kuroyami"]]**

The black spear formed from the fusion was gorgeously ornate – purple gems and spikes adorned it all the way to its tip, where a crystalline skull rested and rigid bat wings ran along the sides.

Rance quickly fused the last of the fire elements. His sword lengthened and in a flash of orange light, set itself ablaze! Rance flinched at the sudden ignition, causing him to drop it momentarily. "Whoa! Promise I'm not copying you, Morana... I just wanted that fire! I'll find Chaos one of these days, though. Ghahahaha!"

Lastly, Chammeng took the green crystals symbolizing nature. "Guess one of us has to get back to the roots. You all should attune yourselves more, really!"

His greatsword twisted and morphed, turning a vibrant mix of teal and forest. Thorny vines grew and wrapped around its sides. It even smelled of fresh flowers! "I think it's symbolic, no? I put my enemies in the ground just like seeds!"

The others shot him looks of apathy. "Aww, come on! I thought I had something there!"

"Gotta hand it to ya, Mantine. All these weapons look hella strong! We can stick it to Paris and upstage the GF all at once! Merry freakin' Christmas indeed!" Suta said, still admiring her spear.

Mantine smirked at her, the genuine praise filling him with smug satisfaction. "What'd I tell you? I aim to please. Now, everyone, get any rest you may need, and prepare yourselves. Tomorrow, we assault Spectre's Tower. I'll shoot a message to Tort when we're about to leave. Also, you might notice that when your weapons transformed, they reverted to their standard reinforcement level. You may want to consider taking them to the blacksmith before we head out."

The other four silently nodded at him.

"I don't want any missteps, so bring your A game. Goodnight."

Everyone heeded Mantine's words, returning to their rooms in the guild hall for bed, and he did the same before long. Knight 40 stowed their fear enough to sleep until the next day came.

* * *

 **Spectre's Tower**

 _According to the ingame lore, four legendary heroes were the first to seal away the cataclysmic dragon god Elga. However, there was a fifth. The witch named Paris was not given any credit or praise for this feat when she returned from the battle. Due to this, she grew bitter and eventually defected to evil. From manipulating the once-honest Doctor Farrell, to making deals with the shark pirates, and now she sought to unseal Elga to wreak destruction once again._

 _None of this really mattered to the players who were more concerned with escaping with their lives, but now they stood on Paris' doorstep at the Spectre's Tower – a nine-floor skyscraper where she waited to challenge anyone brave enough at the top, where black clouds gathered and swirled ominously. The ultimate challenge offered on the Continent of Wind, this tower would be the proving ground for any player who sought to live on to the end._

The tower itself was a relatively short walk from Moonlight Shore Village, and by the time Knight 40 got there, the Guardian Force had already gathered at its base, at least fifty strong with weapons at the ready. A few solor players had even joined the effort to bolster the numbers. Mantine found Tort at the head of the group, flashing a thumbs-up to his fellow paladin.

"Listen, everyone..." began Tort, motioning over to Mantine. "I'm going to give Mantine of Knight 40 the floor to discuss our strategy. I feel I've, err, told you all I can! Yeah, that's it! He's not with our guild, but his men are looking strong! The floor's yours, mike." he said, stepping back so Mantine could take his place.

"Ahem. First of all, I'd just like to say... that you were all fools for trying to assault the tower without any real strategy. Any losses you took were entirely your own fault." he began bluntly, illiciting grumbles from the crowd.

Mantine remained firm on his stance. "I'm gonna give you a healthy dose of tough love today. Let me be blunt; due to circumstances you might already know, I don't like any of you very much... but I don't wish death on any of you, either. That said, let's hash out a plan. Spectre's Tower has nine floors, with a minor boss on each. They're fairly strong, but nothing you couldn't handle. On top of that, the outer walkways of the tower are the only way up, and they're littered with traps. I'm talking spikes, flames, falling boulders... this place is designed to kill you. With all that in mind, my idea isn't actually too complicated. Really, I would've expected one of you to think of something like this before."

The small army voiced displeasure at the backhanded insult.

"Tough crowd." continued Mantine. "Any rogues or assassins with the ability to disable traps should keep to the outside and do what you do best. You'll be out of the frying pan for the most part. Don't worry, you'll still get the equal reward should you survive. The rest of you, split into smaller groups. Each group should take on one of the tower's bosses. It doesn't matter what order you defeat them in, so long as they're all dead. This will open the door to Paris at the top. Whatever loot the bosses drop is yours for the taking. Once they're all gone, any survivors are free to join my guild and I in the final battle. Is that all understood?"

Everyone murmured among themselves for a few minutes, but all eventually came to agreement on Mantine's idea. As he stepped down from the pedestal, he saw an arm waving at him. Running toward it, he saw a very familiar face – Jin! Her refreshingly cute voice invigorated the paladin. "Mantine! Our paths cross again! I haven't seen hide of you since... since the Mudkips."

Mantine's expression sunk.

"Sorry, I did not mean to dredge up any bad memories..." she apologized.

Mantine quickly shook his head. "No worries! All in the past now! You, however... your colors don't match the GF... you survived as a solo player this long?"

Jin smiled and blushed at the man. "Ah, but I wasn't entirely alone! My trusted Tocino was always there for me!"

Sparkles of light materialized into... a portly, ferocious-looking boar with an impressive set of sharp tusks, and glowing azure eyes! It nuzzled against Jin with a 'nruff!' sound.

"Jeez! That's a far cry from the little piggy you had back in the sewers!" Mantine was taken aback a bit by the change. "Somebody call Will Smith, we finally found Razorbeast."

Jin giggled at the callback. "Even a strong player like you has much to learn. Pet advancement makes a lot of difference!"

Mantine crossed his arms and admired the stout animal, its rugged brown fur nearly growing over its saddle. "I can see that. We'll just have to see the new Tocino in action then, won't we. Sure you're up to this?"

Jin nodded sharply. "Mhm! We're with you every step of the way! I've got to show you and Morana how much stronger I've become, so saving me wasn't all for nothing!" she said cheerfully.

Mantine gave the young girl a comforting smile. "I like that enthusiasm. Don't ever lose it."

"Hey, now! Ain't you forgettin' somethin'?" a deep, smooth voice demanded Mantine's attention.

"Ah, Chocolate Desire, my old 'defense attorney'. Glad to see you've made it this far!" Mantine said happily, remembering the favor the dark-skinned man had done him when they first met.

Chocolate cracked his neck. "You know, I wasn't sure I'd make it this far either... but then I thought, everyone thinks the black dude dies first, and I figured it'd be fun to throw everyone of y'all for a loop! Hahaha!"

Mantine appreciated his sense of humor. "Fighting alongside you brings back memories, man. Digging the new color scheme, by the way. It suits you a lot more than the, uhh, white-and-gold."

"I see what you're gettin' at. I wasn't too proud of the way the GF handled things, and especially after I heard the way they dogged you, I was out. Went Lone Wolf on 'em." he explained.

Mantine grinned at him sharply. "Respectable. In any case, I'm going to wrap up with our preparations. Stay sharp, you two."

He left Jin and Chocolate with these words and returned to the elevated pedestal. "All right! I assume everyone is prepared! Tort, was it? Divide your men up evenly and assault floors one through eight in whatever order you please! You attacked this place once before, so you have a better idea of what's ahead than I do! As for Knight 40, we'll take care of the rough stuff. Rance! Sutahime! Chammeng! I'm leaving floor nine to you."

"Sir!" they happily complied, excited to take on something themselves.

"Morana and I will wait at the top. When the energy gate drops, we'll lead the charge! I expect everyone to reach the top and help us out on the double! Rance and Tort have the most HP and defense next to me, so the three of us will draw attention. Chammeng, Chocolate, and Suta have the best DPS of the bunch, so they will dish out some divine punishment for the Fell Witch. Ranged units like Jin will stay in the back line relatively out of danger. I presume the rest of you know what to do. Do I make myself clear?!" Mantine bellowed, raising his icy blade.

The crowd shouted in confirmation, casting every buff to their name.

"Very good! I'll do my part as well. Oath of Paladin!" Mantine waved his sword arm, granting a defensive buff to the entire raid party. "That's as much as you'll get from me. Now! Knight 40, and Guardian Force, move out! Live on til the end!"

The army of players marched into the dreaded tower, ready to take one more step toward ending this nightmare! Their footsteps like an earthquake, they scaled the spiraling outer wall, avoiding the traps Mantine warned of before. Assassins brandishing katars ran ahead to disable the traps they could, and each time the army reached a door, Tort would command a small group to enter and deal with the boss within. The closer they got to the top, the smaller the party became! Those who continued the ascension prayed for the safety of the groups battling below.

It was an arduous climb, but Knight 40 had finally reached the top of the seemingly-endless tower. The air at this height was thin and stifling, with a red mist creeping in from all sides. Tort and the last of his men prepared to enter floor eight. "Don't you dare worry about me, mike! I'll be right up to tank with you before you know it. The shell of a tortoise cannot be breached so easily!" Tort assured before entering.

Floor nine wasn't too far off, and Rance, Chammeng, and Sutahime entered the room to take care of the last of Paris' guardians. Mantine and Morana continued to the top, waiting patiently at the final barrier of light. The fell witch herself waited for them just on the other side. The couple cast as many self-buffs as they could, and prayed for the teams' success.

 _Click. Click. Click. Click. Click._ One by one, the stones holding the barrier up rolled over, weakening it. Five of the strike teams were successful indeed. Mantine and Morana took deep breaths.

 _Click. Click. Click._ Three more. Already, they could hear the footsteps of GF members as they sprinted to catch up. A light rumble became a stampede, with Tort leading the charge... but there noticeably fewer than before. Some of the GF had indeed perished clearing the bosses. Tort faced Mantine with an anguished grin. "The place was... full of scorpions, mike. Poison's a bitch. I know your opinion of the GF is, well, low... but could you have the heart to patch us up?"

Morana rolled her eyes and waved Firedra toward the survivors. "Maximize magic: Caressing Prayer!"

Cured of their poison, the remaining soldiers gathered at the gate of light and stowed their fears.

 _Click._

"Too easy." Suta emerged from the boss room with Rance and Chammeng in tow. "With these boys up front, I can do just about anything, really. Are these GF fellas ready for a real battle?"

Tort's magma blade began to glow. "Whether or not I'm ready... is irrelevant! It's now or never! How about you?!"

The GF members roared a thunderous warcry!

"Then charge, men! Follow Mantine's plan and keep an eye on me!"

The battle had begun just like that! Knight 40 and Guardian Force versus the Fell Witch Paris! The woman herself greeted the small army in the middle of the arena, striking an elegant pose. She took the appearance of a young, tall human woman with black blunt bangs and a deep purple robe shrouding her body, complete with a silken hood.

 **[[Paris – The Fell Witch]]**

Upon sighting the raid party, she summoned a quartet of small eyeball demons to defend her and clasped her hands. A barrier of green energy surrounded her as she charged up her magic! She spoke only once. "Warriors of the Dragon Fellowship. Today you will learn to fear the name of the Black-Heart Witch, Paris. My contract with Elga will be fulfilled. Escape is no longer an option."

Indeed, the barrier that had dropped allowing the party to enter had resealed itself! While Paris gathered power, the room began to fill with scorpions the size of men! Exoskeletons as hard as stone, in every color of the rainbow! There must've been at least eighty of the vile insects ready to do the witch's bidding. Just like that, the fight was on! Tort ordered his soldiers to try to clear the poisonous monsters and fell in line with Mantine. Rance rushed to their side as well, igniting the flames of his new blade!

"We got this, right fam? This really sucks, you know?! If she were in my kinda game, I could get her to join us with my infinite charm and my..." Rance half-joked, activating a sword skill as he charged Paris...

"...HYPER WEAPON!" the fiery blade clashed against the magical barrier, shattering it in one go!

Rance cackled at the successful blow. "GHAHAHAHA! Fall before Rance Super King! Nowhere to hide now!"

Paris waved her arm, and a magic rune appeared under Rance, activating a shock spell! "Feisty! Sorry to pump and dump ya, but I'm gonna have to... SWITCH!"

Using the command, he teleported away, and Chammeng appeared in his place! "Sir Rance! That was noble of you, but it's best to let the big guns handle this! Grizzly...Slash!"

Another direct hit, and without a barrier, Paris found herself missing a generous chunk of health. Before she could react to this hit, a sparkling orb of light struck her in the back! Suta flashed a peace sign and grinned at the paladins. The golden gladiator nearly took the brunt of Paris' next spell, but switched with Tort just in time! He grinned devilishly at the witch, knowing she'd feel nothing as he took the blow with pride.

Meanwhile, the rest of the GF had made solid progress clearing the tower of scorpions working together in groups just like they had on the minibosses. Two gladiators leapt backwards as the ground below them began to tremble!

The source was Tocino's footsteps as the porcine beast barreled through the sea of scorpions, unflinching! Its eyes glowed red, and it's shrill growl let everyone know just how pissed the animal was! Jin cheered her companion on from behind, shooting down the monsters that remained!

Tort raised his hand toward the group and signaled. "Fine work! Now, healers! Do what you do best!"

Morana and the few healers GF had brought along raised their staves, healing everyone of damage and poison.

Tort pumped his fist in celebration. "Aww... yeah! This joint's going much better this time! Their deaths weren't in vain, then... Keep it up, and honor your fallen soldiers, Guardian Force!"

Sutahime dodged the searing beams of Paris' eye sentries, smiling confidently in her fluid movements. "That's the way? Maybe you GF drones ain't so bad! Let's keep this up! Hey, Paris! This one's for my sis! Maximize Magic: Wish Upon A Star!"

A portal tore itself open above Paris, and rained a shower of luminescent blue meteors on the witch!

The moment the attack finished, Chammeng jumped back into the fray for his follow-up! "This was what you guys were afraid of?! Boy, I can't wait to give you all my terror in PvP! Check this one out... Magnum Break!"

Chammeng's verdant blade came down hard, loosing a fiery explosion! It launched the witch skyward and destroyed two of her sentries in the process!

Mantine leapt forth, switching with Chammeng and readying his own sword skill! "I was gettin' tired of standing there tanking hits... let's cut the nonsense! Meteor Break!"

Mantine's icy blade sent the witch crashing back down, breaking the opulent tile floor below! When the attack had finished, Mantine noticed a square question mark flash in the corner of his HUD. _Is this..._

The coordination between the rival guilds had brought the imposing witch down to half health! Disposing of the last few scorpions, the GF soldiers were ready to swarm Paris and end this early, when...

 _KCHKKKKK KKKKHHH..._

Torrents of lightning began to spew from Paris' body, knocking each and every player back several feet! She loosed a bloody scream as the already gray sky began to darken further... it was the beginning of her second phase.

Tort spoke up through his deepening fear. "M-m-mike... I gotta confess, man. This here... is what killed us. It's wh-why I took your advice to withdraw earlier... b-but with you five here, w-we can still hold up... can't we?"

Mantine pushed back to his feet, and deeply furrowed his brow. "This, is it? And you've opted to tell me just now?"

Tort grew even more nervous. "W-well... see, we didn't think you'd agree to help if I told you now..."

Mantine shot his fellow paladin a look of disgust.

"Aww, come on! I'm beggin' you guys... keep us alive! We did do b-better than last time, so..."

Paris clapped her hands twice. A second wave of scorpions appeared at her command, assailing the soldiers who'd just killed the first group.

...but that wasn't what made Knight 40's collective hearts sink.

Two grand pillars of light manifested next to Paris, slowly fading away to reveal what they'd brought forth.

 _..Anything. It could've been damn near anything but that._

 _Two Lords of Night. Both equal in level to Paris._

Mantine's angered expression twisted into that of absolute despair.

The twin Lords of Night wasted no time, assaulting the group with their pairs of crimson longswords while the scorpions supported them.

Knight 40 did their best to intervene, but it had only taken seconds for this battle to become a full-on massacre! The Lords rampaged about the tower's top, cleaving into the players like insects! As Mantine's strike fell short, he looked over his shoulder and saw the despair in the eyes of players the moment they were swiftly put to death, overwhelmed by the spectral knights!

What was once a coordinated party found itself overtaken with sheer panic! The soldiers scattered about, desperate to fend for themselves, throwing their strategy to the wind! Tort tried in vain to get them to regroup, but it was no use! Fear and adrenaline had overridden their sense of reason! One by one, the brave players were struck down by the Paris and her legion of death!

Tort rushed in to aid his comrades, only to be electrocuted by Paris' lightning, which stunned the poor man just long enough for one of the Lords of Night to land a clean hit! He had been brought to a fraction of his health, and stunned to boot! His men's morale had reached an all-time low!

Mantine shut his eyes tight for a moment, utterly heartbroken at the sight of the fear in these men's eyes as their life was cut short. Cutting off the stream of his tears, he could witness this slaughter no longer. He rushed toward Paris for a wide slash, but was sent tumbling to the ground by her barrier magic!

However, this accomplished little beyond stoking the flames within the blue paladin! "How dare you treat me like one of them?! I am Mantine, leader of Knight 40! I'm not some fodder to be cast aside!"

He glanced over to his guildmates. "Chammeng! Rance! Suta! _Waste those Lords of Night. Morana! Handle our defense. I'm going to use it."_

Suta gritted her teeth. "You got it, Lord Mantine!"

Morana flinched for a second, but her resolve did not shake. "I've got your back!"

At this moment, Mantine's very soul began to overflow with insatiable anger! For the first time, he'd learned to hate a boss within this death game! "It's all or nothing! I'd be a fool to wait any longer to use this... _**Harmonious Duality!**_ "

On his command, the Glacialis split into two! His shield had disappeared, and he held the second blade in its place! With blinding speed, he rushed at Paris with a twin trails of frost following every step!

Her remaining sentries were the first to go, but Paris met each elegant strike of the dual blades with her bare hands! The warrior and the witch clashed for several rounds, but it was immediately clear that Mantine was wearing her defenses down without losing his own momentum whatsoever.

Each strike was heavier and more vicious than the last! The azure knight screamed a warcry to the very heavens as he backed the witch into a corner. He could contain his emotions no longer!

"Listen up, you wretched witch! I have enough awareness left in my body to know you're just lines of code! Ones and zeroes! But I'll get my message across regardless! Besides, it's only fair that you all hear what I have to say as well!"

His twin blades lit up with the icy aura of death. "The men and women who fought alongside my guild... they're called the Guardian Force... and the truth is, _**I hate them.**_ Every hardship I've faced since the beginning of this cursed death game... it was all because of these worthless, subhuman pieces of trash!"

He cleaved both blades into the witch, stunning her as she cried out in anguish...

...but Mantine's own anguished cries drowned her out! "Because of them, I've been accused of gaining my power through false means!"

Glacialis dug into her once more, leaving behind a jagged streak of pure ice. "How dare they doubt my hard work?!"

Mantine stared the witch down with a visage of crazed determination. "Because of their greed, I lost my former guild! My old leader now resides with these degenerates, and I'll never rest until I bring him down as well!"

Mantine screamed a guttural cry, digging his swords into the the witch's chest as she made a futile attempt to evade!

"...and as if that weren't enough, it was their men, those low-life slime who killed my cherished guildmate, YUUKI!"

Paris still had fight left in her on her last health bar, and rose to clash with Mantine once again, but he deflected each and every spell in his near-blind rage!

"You hear me, Guardian Force?! I don't give a damn if you didn't take part in the attack! You're still fighting under their flag, arent'cha?! Do you remember Orange, Flann, Creme, and Yuuki?! They were worth more than you'll ever be! So I'll put this one on record! The Guardian Force are the most insufferable shitheels I've ever had the displeasure of associating with! Just being in the same room with them makes me sick!"

Mantine's entire body burned blue, as his soul cried out, telling him to grasp victory!

" _...and you, the Fell Witch... just a boss with no conscience... **HOW DARE YOU MAKE ME CARE ABOUT THEM?!** "_

Everyone in the room knew it was time to conclude this battle. Relief washed over their bodies as Mantine prepared his finishing move. Paris began charging an orb of blue, crackling lighting, laying runes down across the entire floor, ready to send the tower sky-high! Having none of it, Mantine sheathed his blades just long enough to grab both of Paris' hands and stop her mid-cast!

"Not even close! _**Holy Cross of the Milkyway!**_ _"_

The air around Mantine and Paris became a blizzard as he viciously slashed at the defenseless witch, shredding her body to fleeting glimmers of light.

Rance, Chammeng, and Sutahime had finished off the Lords of Night just quick enough to see Mantine collapse from the mental fatigue as his two blades clattered to the ground and became one. Morana rushed over to heal him and the others, and the group collected the various loot Paris had left behind.

The thick red mist began to clear from the air atop the tower. Before long, Mantine awakened to find a worried Morana hugging him with her eyes shut tight. Upon seeing the boy open his eyes, Morana smiled warmly at him. "Good work, honey. You're still an idiot... but that might be the one quality of yours that gets us out of this. Until then, I'll keep holdin' you all together like duct tape."

Rance looked down at his fellow paladin as he pushed himself up and sat. "I, uhh... I counted, fam. We lost about twenty players. That's the most deaths we've seen in a long time." He was clearly shaken up at the loss, balling up his fist as he was reduced to tears. "Dammit, Tort! What was the point in not telling us about this earlier if it was just gonna get more people killed?!"

Chammeng patted the Harem King on his back and smiled at him. "Don't treat him like that, now. He was tasked with leading over fifty men here... you have no idea what might've been going through his mind. It's a responsibility I doubt even you could bear."

Suta hugged Rance aggressively and chimed in. "Besides, we ain't gonna let that happen again! We'll blitz the whole Continent of Chaos and save everyone, Knight 40 and GF alike!"

"By the way, uhh, Mantine?" Chammeng inquired. "That skill you used to defeat the boss, well... what was it? Some kind of dual wielding thing... must be entirely unique to you, huh?" he said, dejectedly.

Mantine shook his head. "Don't give me that much credit, Chammeng. I'm sure any Paladin class with the ice-type weapon could unlock it. Weren't you listening a few days ago? The Dark Soul weapons each have a hidden skill, and infusing them with elements seems to be the first step in unlocking them. I'll look more into it when we get home, but I think you all have something like this."

A golden light briefly caressed the entire Continent of Wind. Free of looming threats, this marked the halfway point in clearing Dragon Saga Online. Mantine and the others could only hope Wesley was watching.

Tort approached Knight 40 with a sunken visage. "I'm... I'm sorry it didn't go all to well, mike. We really tried, didn't we? But hey, at least we won...!"

Mantine put his hand on Tort's shoulder. "Don't hang your head like that, brother. Your men helped us at almost every turn! Mistakes were made, yes, but we're still young!"

The Azure Knight looked out at the crowd, remembering what he'd told Tort the day before. "Although... you gotta remember something. I told you there'd be other conditions... and if I recall correctly, y _ou agreed._ "

Tort smiled at Mantine, and nodded. "Of course! Heh... but what are they?"

Mantine struck his palm out at Tort and the GF. "As of today... The player known as TortoiseShell will no longer be part of the Guardian Force. In exchange for the services of Knight 40 today... you'll join us."

Tort looked back at the remainder of his small army. Not one of them spoke up. He drew a deep breath, stunned by Mantine's piercing gaze. Suta lightly chuckled and smirked at the man, now forced with a decision.

…

 **[[Left guild: Guardian Force]]**

 **[[Joined guild: Knight 40]]**

Mantine nodded. "Good choice. Just one more thing, though... you have all these men on your friends list, right?

Tort nodded silently.

"Excellent. Then from now on, half of them will be on call for Knight 40 any time they're needed. We might need to spread out if we're gonna make any headway in the Continent of Chaos, after all." he said plainly.

"I'll, err, arrange it." Tort said. He had a hard time looking Mantine in the eye.

"H-hey, that's completely unfair! You already have Tort, and-" someone called out in protest.

Mantine looked the entire remaining crowd dead in the eye. _"Vae Victis. Woe to the conquered."_

Before they could protest further, the remaining players were teleported from Spectre's Tower, returning to Port of the Winds to plan their next moves. Mantine and Tort were the last two players to be beamed out, and in their last moments atop the tower, Mantine grabbed Tort by the fist and looked him firmly in the eye with a welcoming smile.

"Sorry I had to do ya like that in front of your friends. Listen, Tort. I was wrong to treat you the way I did. I know you're not like them. You're one who oughta survive... so live on til the end." Mantine said with deepest sincerity.

Tort looked away with a melancholy smile. "You do the same, won't you, mike-... no, Mantine? Survive out there, or I'll have to personally kick your ass!"

"Bet on it." Mantine said with a laugh as the two were teleported home.

* * *

 **[[Mantine]]  
[[Paladin]]  
[[Lv. 52]]**

 _...and that's how conquest goes, I guess._

 _I let the surviving members of the raid party know that their fallen friends were honored and not forgotten. I took it upon myself to place grave markers at the base of Spectre's Tower, each one displaying their name to be etched into history._

 _Our guild hall was swamped with requests after they heard about my new sword skill. They couldn't let go of the notion that it was unique to me until I explained otherwise._

 _Do you feel it yet, Kite? I've broken your men up and brought them where they belong. I'll do everything in my power to make clearing the game a living hell for you._

 _As for everyone else, we did our best to keep our sanity intact... and on that note, there was one more thing I had to do after we returned home._

"...I'm going to take a break from the front lines." Mantine explained to his guild.

Rance, Chammeng, and Suta looked dumbfounded, but Morana saw this coming a mile away.

"Fam, you can't be serious...! We ain't exactly got time to-" Rance protested before Morana hushed him.

"Think before you speak, Harem King. A warrior, even one as strong as you or Suta or Mantine, will be of little use to us if his mind is worn down beyond the breaking point. This game may not limit our physical bodies, but our minds don't get that luxury." Morana chided.

Chammeng's eyes welled up with a waterfall of tears. "Y-you... you can't just do that to us out of nowhere, sir! What are we gonna... what am I gonna do without my friend?! Who am I gonna duel?! You selfish...!"

Morana shook her head at the golden gladiator. "You're the one who's being selfish. If you cared so much about him, you'd take his mental state into consideration too."

Mantine hugged Chammeng and did his best to console the man. "It'll only be for a couple of weeks, I promise. Just need a bit of time to collect myself. Besides, you guys are far from useless without me. As a matter of fact... Rance!"

The green-clad warrior stood up and saluted. "Yes, sir!"

Mantine struck his finger out at him. "While I'm gone, I'm leaving Knight 40 in your capable hands! The mighty Rance Super King will make a fine leader in my stead!"

Rance's face turned beet-red at the declaration. "I-I, uhh... yeah! Leave these fools to me, Mantine! By the time you get back, I'll have 'em in line like the real Marines! You hear that?! I'm gonna whip you all into shape! Tort too!"

Suta lightly elbowed Morana in the ribs. "You're goin' with him, eh? So this'll be kinda like your honeymoon, no?"

Morana blushed and smiled. "I never pictured it to be like this... but I have a good feeling about it! Really!"

The German warlock laughed. "You two kids have fun."

Mantine raised his blade high in the air. "All that said, _how 'bout one more quest before I hit the ol' dusty trail for a bit?!_ " ~


End file.
